Ascension
by WFROSE
Summary: A love stronger then the fundamental forces of the universe exists between two soul mates. After her death, Akane asks Ranma for the impossible, as proof of his undying love. (Story Complete. 'Quick' author's notes added)
1. Prologue

Once upon a time, there was the universe. The universe was ruled by by one, and that one commanded all. 'God' was too small of a term to describe the one, for it more than ruled all, it was all.  
  
For Eternity, that one was the final power, and eventually, it grew weary of its responcibility. That one prolaimed, "In sport, if I am to be defeated in martial combat, I bequeth ultimate might upon them."  
  
Many challenged that one, but could not claim victory, for they were always part of that one. There was no way that a single part could conquer the whole.  
  
An outsider took the challenge, and stated boldly, "I take your challenge, but do not underestimate me, for I yearn for true battle."  
  
That one was not impressed by the boast, yet accepted the contest. They battled for an eternity and a twilight until a victor was decided.  
  
"I yeild," the one stated proudly, "You have proven your superiority, and that you are capable of growing further than the whole."  
  
"But I am not a part of you," the outsider stated, "and it was not your might I desired. It was the grand battle waged."  
  
That one nodded, "It was a grand battle, but I tire of my existance."  
  
The outsider nodded in understanding, "Then, rest, my rival."  
  
That one's essence was broken into five that still rule the universe, and it is said, that if the five parts of the essence were brought back as whole, its assembler would wield the greatest might. This legend was lost generations ago.  
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"Akane's melting through the ice by herself!" Ranma exclaimed, while keeping his bearings as he was buffetted by the fierce hot winds surrounding him. The doll fell towards Saffron; her small body cutting through the torrential air between Ranma and the demi-god.  
  
"Akane's punching a hole between us! I can see him now!" Ranma readied his devastating strike that would fell the godling.  
  
Saffron's arrogance would allow a moment's time for Ranma to finish him; this time, it was a very small trait that Saffron displayed that would allow his defeat. Something Only because of surprise did he actually display.  
  
His concern.  
  
"What?" Saffron questioned, catching the Akane doll before he lost sight of it. He had nothing against the girl, really, and would at least allow her to be buried with her love.  
  
"HIRYU HYOUTOPPA!!!!!"  
  
"NO! YOU FOOL!!!!" The godling screamed, right before the razor sharp frozen air sliced into him.  
  
"But... but... I'm immortal," Saffron thought to himself weakly, while still clutching the Akane doll.  
  
"AKANE!!!" Ranma cried out, as the godling used the last ember of his lost might, to reform himself, to reshape the egg, around Akane's body.  
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More than three years later...  
  
The Saotome home was a quiet and morose one. Genma no longer found the will to practice the art; his drive lost with his son. Nodoka looked over the crib with a sad smile at her only child, while ignoring the dead, frozen white that coated the yard outside, along with most of Japan. It was the coldest winter that could be recalled, which perfectly reflected the mood of the Saotome family, and would set the tone for the events that were about to begin.  
  
::Knock knock::  
  
Neither Genma nor Nodoka cared to answer the door; let whoever stood there freeze to death for all they could care. Unfortunatly, their visitor would not take being ignored as an answer. The front door opened, infuriating Genma, and causing Nodoka concern.  
  
"WHO WOULD DARE?" Shouted Genma. He may have given up the art, but the ability to protect his family was still present.  
  
"I'm sorry, Pops, but it's cold outside, and I didn't feel like waiting for someone to answer it."  
  
"It... it cannot be..." Nodoka breathed, seeing one who had broken her heart so completely just three years ago.  
  
"S-son, is that truly you?" Genma asked in awe.  
  
The young man with a pigtail and slate gray eyes looked towards his parents with a wistful smile, "I'm sorry to worry the both of you like this."  
  
"RANMA!" both parents cried out in unison, rushing towards their long lost son and embracing him as if the illusion could dissappear at any moment.  
  
"Mom, Pop," Ranma whispered, returning the embrace. After a moments time, they finally broke apart, and Ranma saw the crib.  
  
With a slight hesitation, he approached it, "Who?"  
  
"Godai, your brother," Nodoka choked out through her sobs.  
  
"He's beautiful," the pigtailed young man whispered, and then looked towards his parents for permission. They both nodded in unison, and Ranma returned a smile in appreciation. With utter care, he picked up his just barely born brother, cradling him as if to protect him from the ills of the world. The child seemed more at peace then he had ever been in his older brother's arms, warming Ranma's heart. With great regret, he set his younger sibling back into the crib, and then walked up to his parents to address them.  
  
"Mother, father, I'm sorry for breaking your hearts again." Ranma bowed deeply to them in seiza; his forehead touching the floor.  
  
"Oh Ranma..." Nodoka whispered in joyous tears, "We could never hold it against you."  
  
Ranma sat up and sighed, "I'm sorry, mother." With that, he turned his palm towards the crib, and fired a ki blast towards it.  
  
"RANMA!" The elder male Saotome cried out, watching the crib explode violently. The child inside never had a chance to cry. For Nodoka, reality took a surreal air to it, keeping her locked from motion, and detached from any motor abilities.  
  
Genma did not suffer from inability, "DEMON! YOU DARE MASQUARADE AS MY SON?"  
  
Ranma bowed his head as he sat up to meet his father's charge, "I am your son, father." Ranma leaned slightly to the left, then back to the right, and Genma realized in that instant, that it was indeed Ranma.  
  
Nodoka watched her husband fall into cleanly sliced pieces from the vacuum blade attack used by Ranma. She knew the attack was a part of her husband's Yamasenken, and only two other people in the world were familiar with it. Her mind, though, would not allow her to believe it.  
  
"You're not my son..." the woman said coldly, as she picked up the Saotome honor blade, and charged blindly at the young man...  
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Ranma walked from the house, leaving a trail of red speckled snow in his wake. After leaving the front gate, he turned to the house that would remain quiet from this point on.  
  
"Forgive me, but I thought it would be best, if you were to see the face of your killer." 


	2. Chapter 1

Ranma; Ascension  
Chapter 1  
  
  
  
  
Once upon a time, there was a concept. This concept held infinate power over all life, as it was the finality of it. Since the beginning, this concept carried out its duties without question, without remourse, and because of this, it was alienated.  
  
Over time, the concept grew lonely. It was far beyond sentience, but observing life caused it to develop such things as emotions. It yearned for the companionship that was celebrated in life, and grieved for it would always be unatainable.  
  
One soul had caught its attention from time to time, a soul that during every rebirth was destined for great things. Everytime the concept touched the soul, if experienced... elation. Eventually, the concept decided that it wanted to experience more.  
  
It was not unheard of, but immensely rare. The concept requested of its kin a boon, and after much confrence, it was granted.  
  
Upon the rebirth of the soul that had taken the concept's attention, the concept was born as a soul.  
  
The concept as a soul born on earth experienced the full spectrum of emotions that any human would feel, exilleration of a task well done, peace from security, remourse from the death of a close one, anger from exasperation. One other feeling that the concept felt, one that lingered like a palpable and tantalizing flavor upon its tongue; ambition.  
  
Through the course of the concepts given life, it grew competitive, and resentful when that which it owned was attempted to be taken away. Through its life, it experienced many peculiarities that most mortals would never come across; the final one managing to end its given life on earth.  
  
Upon returning to its true form, the concept still harbored many of the feelings and experiences that it gained during its given life. It now felt the need to grow further than it had been for eons. The soul that held the concepts intrest would prove useful.  
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Ranma kneeled before the drainage ditch, washing his hands of the blood that they were splattered with. He felt a presence behind him, "I said my good byes to those that mattered to me most." Ranma stood up, ignoring the red stained water that dripped from his hands, as he stared across the canal, "You gave them the peace they deserve?" He knew the answer without turning to see the nod, "Then, I go to do what you wanted me to do."  
  
Ranma chuckled when he felt a hand on his shoulder, and lay his own upon it, "You know? I know I would have told ya I'd go to the ends of the universe for you," the pigtailed young man turned to the figure that was slightly shorter than him, and continued, "Kinda funny you want me to prove it." With that, he bent down, and kissed the raven-haired girl on the lips, entwining his fingers with hers.  
  
"Even for the impossible, I'd won't fail you again, Akane."  
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The Tendous sat in mouning over the deaths of the Saotome family. It was a pleasant funeral for them, and it was a tragedy that the true blood of the lineage had been wiped out in such a brutal manner.  
  
Ukyo sat quietly, the last remaining Saotome. Genma and Nodoka had adopted her after Ranma's dissappearance, though she barely spent much time with the family. Without Ranma, she didn't truly feel a part of it. Even though this was the case, she still felt immense grief over their passing.  
  
Cologne sat solomnly, contemplating the murder. The cuts were so fine, nothing material could accomplish it. She recognized the technique that felled Genma and Nodoka as part of the Yamasenken, and decided that she would personally see to the hunt for Ryuu Kumon. She would talk with Soun about it later on.  
  
Soun himself could not cry any longer, as he had run out of tears with the death of his youngest daughter. In fact, he had run out of emotions all together. He state expressionlessly, not really thinking of anything, just waiting for it to end. It wasn't a healthy existance, but it was the only one he was capable of now.  
  
Nabiki's face remained hidden under her black veil, allowing no one to see her expression. Her thoughts were in turmoil, after losing the last thing to a mother other than Kasumi she had known for years. Nodoka would be missed more than she could help.  
  
Kasumi handled her feelings as usual for anyone having experienced this tragedy. Fortunatly, Dr. Tofu was able to provide her comfort before she could succomb completely to grief; he would make sure that his wife would be okay, no matter what else happens.  
  
The doctor himself himself was coming to similar conclusions as Cologne. The attack was ki based, so that leveled the list of murderers down signifigantly. He also wanted to explore the Saotome's former home, to see what clues there were. The ki from the murderer may still be around.  
  
Dr. Tofu walked up to Ukyo, and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Ukyo, my sincerest condolences for your loss. If it's means anything, I have an idea that may help us find the murderer of your family.  
  
Ukyo barked a sharp laugh, "They weren't really my family, but it lies upon me to avenge them. hmph, I have to say I never really was much good at revenge."  
  
The doctor patted her shoulder in comfort, "I would say that's a good thing. Its best to let justice deal with this."  
  
"JUSTICE?" Nabiki shouted, furiously, "THERE WAS NO JUSTICE IN THEIR DEATHS? WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THAT ANY WILL SERVE THEM BEYOND?"  
  
"Nabiki, please," Soun commanded, though with not much force.  
  
"The girl is right," Cologne interjected, "Besides, we already can assume who the murderer is."  
  
"Oh?" the doctor turned to the old woman.  
  
"Ryuu Kumon," Soun answered for her.  
  
"Correct. The attack on the Saotomes was ki based. In fact, it was an attack that was invented by Genma Saotome himself, and entrusted to Amazon care after he retired from martial arts. Only a handful of people know the technique. Three of them are dead, I have an alibi if you wish to list me as a suspect, and Shampoo is still in the South Americas wandering from the last time I talked with her, the day before the murders."  
  
"I see, so that only leaves Ryuu," Tofu concluded, "but are you sure it was this technique that was the cause of thier deaths? I mean there are several that I can list myself that would have similar results."  
  
"I am positive," the old woman replied gravely, "but if you wish to confirm this for yourself, I will accompany you on whatever you have planned."  
  
"I think I will, it's too circumstantial at this point, and a ki signature would be the best way at the moment. After all, I knew the signatures of every fighter in Nerima, and many that had a beef with the Saotomes."  
  
"Interesting idea," Cologne agreed, "I do not expect anything different, but your plan is a sound one."  
  
"Let us know your findings, as it is the duty of the Anything Goes School to avenge the loss of any of its students, former or otherwise," Happosai came from his hiding place. It was made extremely apparent that he was not welcome around any more, but made it a point to stay. Though he did questionable things, he still felt remourse over the loss of the Saotomes, from Ranma to Godai, and would bring their killer justice if by his hands or anyone else's.  
  
"Happosai, I see you have returned," Soun commented.  
  
The old man nodded, "I understand I'm not appreciated, but at least allow me to take part in this. I owe it to Genma as his master, for failing him... and you."  
  
"That almost sounds sincere," Cologne replied, with a touch of acid in her voice.  
  
Happosai turned towards the old woman, "Even the elderly can mature."  
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Later, three figures silently entered the deathly quiet home. The blood stains were still apparent, even with the little light they were supplied by the outside moon..  
  
"It truly was a shame," Toku stated, as they looked around the living room, spying the broken and charred crib.  
  
"Yes, their young one had as much potential as his older brother did. It's a tragedy that it was cut short before it could be known."  
  
"And my final chance for an heir..." Happosai trailed off, feeling as morose as the situation demanded. Before the meloncoly could side track them, they set to task.  
  
"Well, I guess it's time to go to work," Dr. Tofu stated, closing his eyes and enhancing his own senses as he was taught. Cologne did the same,. As they both suspected, it was a familiar signature, and as they delved deeper...  
  
"Kami!"  
  
"Great and revered Ancestors!"  
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Ranma twisted the ring on his finger, the one given to him by Akane. It would be vital for him to have it, for his quest would be finished before it began. He had expected it would be an amazingly long journey, but with the help of the woman who loved him, he could easily make the trek.  
  
Ranma nodded in grim determination, as he ventured into parts of reality unknown, intent on not returning until his current task was complete. 


	3. Chapter 2

Ranma  
Ascension  
  
  
There stands five guardians; One that has traversed all, one that time can never touch, one that stands in between all that is balanced, one that no live can escape his notice, and one that brandished infinite might.  
  
They stand vigil in their posts, never wavering from their task. They, for eons, never had been challenged, for it would be folly to attempt so. As for the one who defeats them, would be the most powerful in all creation.  
________________________________  
  
Cologne frantically tossed items about, ignoring the sounds of fragile treasures breaking in her desperate search. She needed their revelation confirmed, for if what they found at the recently deceased Saotome home was true....  
  
"Where is that damnable orb!" The former Amazon Matriarch mumbled in a fit, and did not notice Mousse and Shampoo's father approach.  
  
"Elder, something troubling you?" The man with the skull cap enquired. It was rare to see Cologne this frantic; something of great magnitude must have been discovered last night.  
  
"Yes, something is troubling me *very* much so," Cologne almost snapped, and then sighed at her tenseness, "I apologise, I need to keep a head about myself. Mousse, I require you to get in contact with Shampoo if you can. It's very important that you do this for me."  
  
Mousse made a sour face, "Wouldn't it be better if her father contacted her instead?"  
  
Cologne realized her slip, and turned an apologetic look to the young man, "Yes, I'm sorry."  
  
"Why do you need to speak with Shampoo anyhow?" the older man enquired.  
  
"Because, we may be requiring her assistance if what the doctor and I surmised is true."  
  
"And what is that?" Enquired Mousse. The boy's face paled at the answer.  
  
"Ranma may be back."  
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"WHAT?!?" Nabiki exclaimed, "Doctor, have you lost your MIND?"  
  
Dr. Tofu attempted to placate the young woman before him, "Please, calm down, I know it's unlikely."  
  
"UNLIKELY YOU SAY?" Nabiki gathered herself before continuing, "Not only did you say that Ranma's alive, but you're saying that he killed his *own* family? You were there when he dropped himself... when he..."  
  
The doctor moved to comfort his sister-in-law, cooing to her that she didn't need to say anymore. He was there when Ranma, in his grief, threw himself off a nearby cliff. He had been driven mad by Akane's death, and avidly believed that Akane had constantly visited him, urging him to join her.  
  
Several attempts on his own life forced those around him to take desperate measures to have him subdued.In doing so, those who had known him came into odds, shattering the comarade they experienced , and causing a few to even turn their back on Nerima for good. Unfortunatly, Ranma made his escape, luring everyone to the spot he had chosen to 'meet' with Akane...  
________  
  
"Ranma, please, please," Nodoka urged her son, and took a step foward. Ranma turned his haggard, yet wild expression towards his mother, and took a step back on the cliff he was barely teetering on as it was. Before she could approach any more, Genma restrained his wife.  
  
"Ranma, listen to me," it was Dr. Tofu's turn, "Akane would not want you to do this. Whoever is visiting you is *not* Akane." Tofu had his reservations that anyone was meeting Ranma, and believed them to be grief induced delusions, but he knew better than to voice such.  
  
Ranma's voice sounded mockingly mirthful as he replied, a light jovial tone that was broken up and cracked by the agony he actually displayed in his contenance, "I failed her, Doc, and she's forgiven me! She's forgiven me because she's so lonely."  
  
Everyone present felt their hearts shatter from hearing Ranma speak. It was the voice of someone who had lost all meaning in their life; only now just living an unbearable existance that was too agonizing to continue. Without motion; the Tendous, Saotomes, Amazons, Tofu, Ukyo, Ryoga and Ikari, Kodachi and Koucho Kuno, Hinako, even Happosai, all stood still, all afraid that the slightest motion would send the boy plunging to his death. Only one of them remained unseen, and was slowly making their way to keep the situation from becoming grave.  
  
"I didn't think I deserved to be forgiven," Ranma continued, "But she still loves me, and she forgave me, and wants to be with me."  
  
"Ranma, it is not your time," Cologne almost whispered. No 'Son-in-law', no 'Groom', just Ranma, "You have so much to do before joining her in the after-life."  
  
Ranma's expression turned venomous, as he turned his attention towards the Amazon Elder, "Yeah, I have ta impregnate your cow over there for your precious breeding, don't I? Well I'm sorry to dissappoint ya."  
  
"Ranma, that is not what I..." Cologne attempted to defend herself, but felt a hand lay on her shoulder. Shampoo looked down on her Great Grandmother, and shook her head slightly; any words said by them would only further damage the situation. Cologne now felt the impotence of her 5000 years of Amazon knowlege; what worth is it now if she couldn't use it to save one couragious soul that had given to despair?  
  
"Ranma, my boy, listen to us," Happosai started, "You'll be leaving more behind than you believe you'll gain."  
  
"Oh, dry up and die, old man," Ranma snapped, "I don't even know why you're here, anyway!"  
  
"He cares," Kasumi stated, while holding onto Ukyo by the shoulders, "We all care, more than you realize."  
  
"Then you'll let me go," Ranma stated with a sad smile. A light sprinkle swept over them, like tears of angles witnessing a tragedy. Only Ranma was affected by it, as she had not even attempted to cover shelter herself. Ranma's expression looked even more tragic, even more dismal on the red-head, for she now looked like a lost child who had been made to see that there was nothing in this life for her, "I can't stay here anymore, it hurts too much."  
  
"Ranma," Ryoga said in a commanding, yet pleading voice, "I would have never thought you would take the cowards way out! Akane would be dissappointed in you!" Almost everyone glared at the rival of the other lost young man, but Ryoga hoped shaming Ranma from suicide would work where empathy had not.  
  
Ranma smirked at his rival, "You win this battle, Ryoga. I'm too tired to fight it anymore." Ryoga couldn't hold the shock from his face, and then clutched Ikari closer to him self, silently crying into her hair.  
  
"Do not sink so low, Saotome," A pompous voice sounded from the rear, causing Kodachi and her father to become stock still in fright, "If you truly wish for the end, come face me for a warrior's death."  
  
Everyone gave descreet looks towards the youngest Kuno. "I swear, I used tripple the dosage!" Kodachi defended.  
  
"Sorry, Kuno," Ranma replied, "I'm afraid that you couldn't even win a battle against me that I would want you to win." Ranma sighed, as no one found his attempt at leveity appropriate, "Well, I've kept Akane waiting long enough."  
  
With that, Ranma leaned back.  
  
"NO!" Konatsu screamed out, his cry just barely being audible over all others, and dropped all pretenses of subterfuge for all the speed he could muster. The kunoichi barely missed the pigtailed girl's ankle.  
  
"MOUSSE, CHAIN!!!!" Ryoga screamed out. The male Amazon quickly complied, throwing one of his chains towards the other young man. Ryoga snagged it out of the air, and dove as fast and as hard as he could for the falling girl. It wasn't until then, that Mousse realized he gave Ryoga one of his shorter chains; he silently prayed to all his ancesters that it would still be enough.  
  
Ryoga quickly accellerated upon the descending body, and almost growled at the slightly amused look on his rival's face. Just for that, Ryoga vowed that this would be the time, if the *only* time, he kept Ranma from succeeding.  
  
Less than a hundred yards from the jagged rocks below...  
  
"DAMMIT, RANMA! YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HELL UNLESS I PERSONALLY SEND YOU THERE!!!" Ryoga shouted, with determination on his face.  
  
Seventy yards...  
  
"You even turn my suicide into a personal quest to ruin my happiness, huh P-Chan?"  
  
Fifty yards...  
  
"YOU... WILL... LIVE!!!!" Ryoga's fingertips graced the front of Ranma's shirt...  
  
Forty...  
  
Ranma smiled alarmingly at Ryoga, and whispered something that made the young man's blood go totally still, "Shi Shi Hakoudan."  
  
Ryoga was caught by the blast, causing him to elevate several yards, "NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!" When Ryoga started to descend again, the chain went taunt, "RANMA!!!!!" Ranma's final words he could hear would be edged into his mind for the rest of his life.  
  
"I leave my pain behind to this world."  
  
Ranma reached out her hand, as if to have it taken into someone else's, and said her last few words that only one other was privy to, "I love you, Akane."  
  
Five...  
  
Only the wind answered.  
  
...  
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Once Nabiki's sobs were under control, the doctor continued, "Look, I'm not saying he was the one who killed the rest of the Saotomes, but even you must admit that he provides an important clue to all this. We just can't ignore what we found last night."  
  
Tofu pushed his glasses further onto his nose, "Now, I chose to tell you first of everyone, because I know you're best at damage control. I want you to select who needs to know about this, and keep the rest in the dark as much as possible. This is very important, so can I trust you on this?"  
  
Nabiki took a deep breath, and nodded.  
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Ranma stood on alien land, looking down at his fallen opponent. He now had three of the the essences, and now awaited for the ring to to absorb the recent one he collected, and show him the location of the next one. The pigtailed man gave a grim smile, and waited for the portal to open up. 


	4. Chapter 3

Ranma 1/2  
Ascension  
  
  
  
A young looking warrior stared off into what could be assumed as the sky, and smiled slightly. Someone had decided to take up the task he had passed off himself so long ago. Someone sought to become the fittest being there was; to become what mortals were not meant to be. He scoffed at the notion; of course they could be anything they wanted to. It was simply a matter of evolution. This recent development meant dire consequences for *all* life, but he wouldn't interfere.  
  
If he were to do so, it would disrupt the very order of the universe; Survival of the fittest.  
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True love cannot ressurect the dead...  
  
  
But It can bring death to cherish it.  
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"Akane, Mother..." Nabiki kneeled before the tombstone, and bowed her head, "I... that is we..." The young woman paused to gather herself, and when she realized what she was doing, she chuckled and started over again, "I... need your help. Someone killed the Saotomes, all of them but Ukyo." Nabiki sniffled before continuing again, "Cologne and Dr. Tofu think Ranma did it."  
  
The young woman looked away from the stones to the tree behind it, her eyes following the dead and bare branches, "There's no way he could have done it, we *all* saw him die. He..."  
  
The wind caressed Nabiki across her shoulder, and she felt a mild comfort from it that gave her strength to continue. Her mother's presence when it came in contact with her when she was alive always managed to calm Nabiki a great deal; it was something her late parent was only capable of when the girl found things too much for her.  
  
"Cologne says she has a way to find Ranma if he's... alive. I'm hoping that they never do." Nabiki tilted her head, as if pondering a question, "I know it would not give us an answer to who possibly could have done it, but I think the possibility of Ranma being a killer would... be far greater than an unknown one not facing justice."  
  
"Tofu asked me to figure out who would be best to confront Ranma, but only those nessesary. Ranma was always pretty dangerous, but he had honor, and love." Nabiki turned to her sister's grave with a slight smirk, "Yeah, sis, Ranma did love you. He loved you more than any of us had realized. But you already knew that, I mean after three years ago when he... when he went to join you. It was funny though, when both of you were too stubburn to admit it, even when it was blindingly obvious to everyone involved."  
  
Nabiki wiped a tear from her eyes, and stared at the ground before her late sister's marker, "I'm not blaming you for what happened to him, but your death destroyed him; in a way, it nearly destroyed all of us. You were more important than family, Akane-chan, you were a part of what held everything together here. I mean even with your rivaly over Ranma, none of us could have survived a whole year without you around. Heh, I would imagine Ranma's head would have exploded from a swollen ego if you hadn't been there to curb it every so often. But I degress, I was here to ask you something..."  
  
Nabiki took out a list of names, and laid it before the stone marker, "Here's a list of Ranma's most powerful enemies and allies. I... I need to know if I'll be doing the right thing, telling them. If it is Ranma, we'll definitely need them; if it isn't, they may be powerful enough to bring whoever it was to justice. But, I'm pretty sure you see the problems with all of them. None of them you could say are... team players, and they could hinder us more than help. What do you think, Akane? Mom?"  
  
Nabiki subconciously waited for a reply, but conciously realized how silly it was to sit in silence. She actually visited her mother and sister's graves and 'talked' to them in order to get her own thoughts straight. She would imagine that they were there to confort her at times when she needed them, but knew to herself that this was just a fantasy. Still, it never hurt her to indulge.  
  
"I best get going," Nabiki stated, and reached down for the paper. A leaf floated down, and landed upon the list before she retrieved it. Nabiki blinked, and looked at the tree... the dead tree. The only tree around for a good ways.  
  
"Heh, I get it," Nabiki stated with a slight mirth, "I guess anything is possible."  
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Ranma breathed heavily, while staring back at his fallen opponent. That was by far the greatest of the challenges he had faced, but it was finally over. The pigtailed young man approached the alter with a slight limp, and place his right hand upon it. It started to glow a vibrant amber color, that congested around his hand, and then was absorbed into the ring on his hand.  
  
He now had five of the essences he needed, now he need await for the location of the final one. Buf first....  
  
"Akane, let me gather myself before this next challenge. It wouldn't do us any good if I were to fail when so close." The portal opened, and Ranma stepped through it. He decided that he needed only a day to recouperate, before attempting to gain the final essence.  
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"Blasted thing takes too long to work!" Cologne grumbled, checking up on the orb once again. Two days ago, she had brought it to the Saotome home to attune itself to Ranma's ki. Now it was attempting to locate the direction of the young man's whereabouts. It would take a day and a night to accomplish it's task, but she gave it a bit of extra time just in case.  
  
"Cologne, maybe Ranma is... dead after all," Dr. Tofu enquired, "Maybe..."  
  
"You know a great deal about ki," Cologne interrupted, "What we felt could *not* be faked."  
  
"Maybe, maybe not," the doctor replied, "We don't know everything about ki, after all."  
  
Cologne turned a hard glare to the doctor, "You don't honestly believe that load of bull you're trying to hand me? I'll tell you, Sonny-boy, I've been three hundred years around the block, and there isn't much I don't know about these things. So don't go trying to teach Granny to suck eggs!"  
  
"I meant no disrespect," Tofu apologised.  
  
"It's quite all right. This whole situation has gotten all of us on edge, and WILL THIS DAMNABLE ANCIENT JUNK WORK?"  
  
"Cologne, mighty big temper you got there," Happosai landed, carrying a sack.  
  
"Happosai..." Cologne sneered, as she spied the bag, "Even in these times, you can't help but indulge in your pathetic infatuation with undergarments."  
  
"You need to learn to be civil, ya old bat," Happosai shot back, and then dropped the sack to reveal several treasures."  
  
"So, you've come to return Amazon treasures? I have to admit that I was not suspecting..."  
  
"I brought *my* treasures here so that we can go through them and see if we can find anything useful to locate The Saotomes' murderer."  
  
"What objects would you have to detect Ranma?" Cologne asked.  
  
"I never said 'Ranma', I said the Saotome's killer," Happosai corrected.  
  
Cologne narrowed her eyes again, "I've already been over this with the young whelp, Happosai." Tofu brissled at the comment, but refrianed from responding.  
  
The ancient pervert gave Cologne a disarming smile, before picking up a jewel from the pile on the sack. He stared intensely at the former Amazon Matriarch, while the jewel began to change color. It turned a sky blue, and then Happosai let his battle aura out. Tofu suppressed a chuckle at Cologne's pole-axed expression.  
  
"I admit there are... some things that have slipped my knowlege," Cologne replied sheepishly.  
  
Happosai let the imitated battle aura drop, "Now then, let's get to work. We have a student of mine to avenge.  
______________________________________________  
  
Ranma looked towards Akane, as she went about her duties. He understood that what he was seeing was only a physical representation, since he could not fathom the true 'reality' of her task. He knew what she was, but he didn't love her any less. If anything, it proved to him that what he felt, and what she returned, was more real than any possible experience he had ever came across. Thinking about this, his resolve grew that much stronger, as he decided that his wait need not go much longer.  
  
He looked to his ring, awaiting for the location of his final destination before moving onto the next phase of his task. When it was revealed, Ranma laughed so loud that it even caught his love's attention.  
  
Ranma looked towards Akane with a loving smile, which Akane returned with a smug one. Behind Ranma opened a portal, and the pigtailed young man stepped through it; thinking to himself that this was already a battle he had won before he had known he had started it.  
Ranma breathed heavily, while staring back at his fallen opponent. That was by far the greatest of the challenges he had faced, but it was finally over. The pigtailed young man approached the alter with a slight limp, and place his right hand upon it. It started to glow a vibrant amber color, that congested around his hand, and then was absorbed into the ring on his hand.  
  
He now had five of the essences he needed, now he need await for the location of the final one. Buf first....  
  
"Akane, let me gather myself before this next challenge. It wouldn't do us any good if I were to fail when so close." The portal opened, and Ranma stepped through it. He decided that he needed only a day to recouperate, before attempting to gain the final essence.  
______________________________________________  
  
Cologne and Happosai cursed the pile of junk that sat in their midst. Nothing had turned up a single trace of who the Saotomes' killer could be. After about a day, they had given up on it possibly being Ranma, since there was no trace of him.  
  
"Great Grandmother?" A familiar voice called out from the Restaurant entrance. Cologne sighed, and called down, "Shampoo, come join us upstairs so that we can explain the situation to you."  
  
"I also have another grave issue to discuss with you," Shampoo called back, and started up the stairs. Cologne paused, it sounded as if Shampoo was supporting someone upstairs. It didn't take long for the old woman's suspicions to be confirmed, as her Great Granddaughter came in, while holding an Amazon messenger who could barely stand on her own.  
  
"By our Ancestors, child, what happened to her?" Cologne asked with a fearful tone.  
  
Before Shampoo could speak up, her companion answered in their Amazon dialect, and then the girl looked down to the floor, as if she had failed in some grievous way, and stated something with great remourse that made the former matriarch go completely pale.  
  
Happosai looked between Cologne and the two other women, noting for former's shock and the two latters' grim expressions, but was unable to follow the conversation, "What? What happened to the pretty lady?"  
  
"The Amazons... are no more," Cologne replied with a choke in her voice. Happosai went quiet at the gravity of the statement.  
  
Unknown to all in the room, a certain orb generated a small light within it, that shown on the east side of the sphere..  
______________________________________________  
  
Ranma looked down at his ring; it was complete. There was nothing he could no longer do. With this in mind, he decided that it was time to make a trip to Japan... 


	5. Chapter 4

Ranma 1/2  
Ascension  
  
  
  
  
Cologne took a deep breath, and look to the sides of her. On one side, Tofu stood firm in his support of the former matriarch, while on the other side, Happosai sat in lotus position while smoking his pipe.  
  
The Elder Amazon didn't relish having to tell everyone gathered their findings, which happened to be none, but it had to be done in order to move on.  
  
"Greetings, everyone, I thank you for your attendance. As you all know, a trajedy had befallen the Saotomes, and we have since been in search of their murderer," Cologne paused a bit, before continuing, "We had reason to believe that it was Ranma himself that had done it; thankfully, this wasn't the case."  
  
"I thought you said that the ki signature was definitely Ranma's, and that it couldn't be faked?" Nabiki asked with a slight irritation in her voice, as she had spent the last couple of days trying to get in contact with powerful potential allies. Herb claimed that there were some... issues he could not leave his kingdom for reasons he would not state, but would assist in any way possible, due to the debt he owed Ranma Saotome.   
  
Ryoga was once again lost, but Akari had promised that she would bring him by, once he was home. The Pheonix Tribe refused to recognize any 'debt' owed to the Tendous, stating that when their affairs had crossed, while unfortunate, were of nessesity. Only the couple in the back of the room; the recently wedded Rouge and Tarou, were in attendance. And that was only because the former felt some gratitude towards Ranma, insisting that her and her husband lend a hand.  
  
"Well..." Cologne started with a chagrinned voice, and then turned to a calm and reserved looking Happosai, "I have been disproven in that respect, accept my apology for my assumption."  
  
"So, we still don't have a murderer to name?" Ukyo enquired with a barely contained anger, while gritting her teeth.   
  
Shampoo got up from where she was sitting, and walked over to the other woman, "Great Grandmother is not to blame for this, so do not even think to be irritated with her."  
  
"Why not?" Ukyo growled back, obviously not happy with seeing the other former Amazon and rival's return, "She got our hopes up, and said that she was absolutely right! That there was no doubt!" Ukyo did an admirable job of holding back the choke in her voice, "We thought we would at least be able to find Ranma alive, even if we had to..."  
  
The lavender haired woman spared Ukyo from continuing, possibly out of sympathy, "Even Great Grandmother is not infallible," Shampoo replied, slightly subdued, "It was a mistake that was easily made."  
  
"Yeah, like the mistake you made with Mousse? Where is he, anyhow?" Ukyo made a show of looking around, and acting like she didn't notice the murderous expression on the other woman's face.  
  
"THAT IS ENOUGH, BOTH OF YOU!" someone shouted in a ki enhanced voice that rumbled throughout the Cat Cafe. Everyone turned to him to see Happosai, still peacefully sitting and smoking his pipe, as if he had nothing to do with what just happened.  
  
"As my great granddaughter defended, it was indeed a mistake on my part. But we now need to move on, and find the one who committed this terrible crime."  
  
"And how do you suppose we do this?" Nabiki once again interjected, "Right as of now, we have no other leads to the culprit, exept that it could possibly be one of Ranma's, or the Saotome's in general, numerous enemies."  
  
"We do know one thing," Cologne replied, "We know that whoever it is, knows Ranma..."  
  
"Is here..." Soun almost whispered emotionlessly and sternly, as he stared at the entrance to the Cat Cafe. Cologne blinked, before gasping in disbelief. Both Tofu and Happosai were concentrating on what lay at the entrance, both braced for a confrontation of some sort. Everyone else remained confused, until they heard his voice....  
  
"Hello, everyone."  
  
"RANMA!" Cried out Ukyo and Shampoo in unison. Everyone's eyes fell on Ranma Saotome, dressed in the red and black ensemble he usually favored, with his hands in his pockets.  
  
"Bu-bu-bu... how...?" Nabiki breathed, not believing who was standing before her.  
  
"I missed you all," The pigtailed young man whispered in a meloncoly voice, before striding into the restuarant.  
  
"Impossible!" Cologne exclaimed, "at least *ONE* of the methods we used to attempt to locate you would have succeeded! You couldn't possibly have evaded them!"  
  
"Let's just say, I've been rather unaccessable," Ranma said with a ghost of the smirk everyone used to recall decorating his face in what seemed like a lifetime ago.  
  
"Ranma," Tofu asked in an even tone that did well not to sound accusing, "Did you kill your family?"  
  
The young man blinked, and then sighed, "Geez, I try to add some leveity, and you guys are all serious." Ranma himself became stone severe in his expression, "But yes, I did... remove them from life."  
  
Many let out a breath they didn't realize they were holding, and allowed themselves to feel the hold that shock held on their hearts like a loose grip that massaged them on the inside. "Why?" Tofu asked next, looking at Ranma intensely for any signs of deceit, or of not being in right mind.  
  
"I didn't want them to be among the faceless that will never know what happened. I loved them, they deserved better than that," Ranma replied, somberly.  
  
"That doesn't tell us a reason, Ranma," Nabiki stated, trying to keep herself calm, and barely able to do so.  
  
"I visited your village, Cologne-sensei," Ranma continued, giving Nabiki a scathing glance for her comment, and sitting down to a table that was just off to the side of everyone.  
  
"Then you...?" Shampoo replied, with an incredulous expression on her face. Her blood was already boiling for release, before she got the answer she wasn't truly prepared for.  
  
"They had the information I needed to locate the greatest treasure of the world, of this very part of the universe. I only did what was nessesary."  
  
Shampoo launched herself at the cavalier and almost indifferent young man, and was barely restrained by Tarou and Ukyo, "YOU MURDER THEM ALL! YOU KILL WHOLE VILLAGE!!!"  
  
Ranma diverted his eyes and bowed his head, "I'm... sorry."  
  
"SORRY?!?!?" Shampoo faught even harder to make an attempt at Ranma, "YOU KILL SHAMPOO FRIENDS AND FAMILY FOR WORTHLESS TREASURE, AND YOU JUST 'SORRY'?" Tofu came to assist with restraining Shampoo, but didn't feel inclined to sedate her with a pressure point. Her rage was quite justified.  
  
Cologne herself was ready to join her Great Granddaughter in an attempt for Ranma's blood, but she had to find out what Ranma's agenda was, "What is this treasure you were seeking? What is it that was important enough for you to sanction a WHOLE... DAMNED... VILLAGE?!?"  
  
"I had to admit, that I was surprised to find it back here, though I shouldn't have been. I had even already defeated the twin guardians of this treasure previously while he wasn't at his full abilities, fortunately." Ranma seemed to pause in thought, "Pretty interesting, that a dragon and Pheonix would be the representing guardians, but I'm sure that wasn't by accident."  
  
"Saffron?" Shampoo ventured, but not truly knowing where this was leading.  
  
"Yeah, Saffron. And Herb."  
  
"But what would Saffron have to do..." Cologne was suddenly attacking Ranma before she had even finished the last syllable uttered. Everyone blinked in unison, as they watched the former Matriarch fight harder, more unrestrained, and more vicious, than she ever had before. The peculiar thing, was that it wasn't a fight of total anger and rage, it was a fight of complete and absolute desperation and fear.  
  
Happosai hadn't missed the sudden spike in Cologne's ki before she attacked. The old woman was afraid, VERY afraid suddenly; beyond a terrified he hadn't suspected her capable of. With that in mind, the ancient master crossed the room in a blink of an eye, and sent Ranma flying though a wall, and out into the street. Both ancient fighters chased the flying body out, both readying death blows. Happosai knew that whatever had Cologne spooked like she was, was definitely something that had to be taken care of in the most final way.  
  
Ranma rolled out of the way of the cane point that caused the ground in a eight meter radius to erupt, while Happosai launched a ki attack at Ranma before he could get any further. The pigtailed young man turned and had yet to recover, just in time to see the massive sphere of angry energy bear down on him. Both Cologne and Happosai recovered, and both knew that nothing could have survived the blast, and Ranma could not have even raced away from it.  
  
"WHAT WAS THAT ALL ABOUT?" Ukyo shouted at the two elderly martial artists, as she ran up to confront them.  
  
Cologne turned a haunted and saddened expression towards the young woman, "Child, Ranma's much more dangerous than *ANY* being or God has ever been. We did what had to be..." Both the ancient martial artists, Soun, Tarou, and Tofu's eyes went wide.  
  
Ranma pushed himself out of the molten tar that the street had become. And as he stepped from it, it just seemed to melt from his body, leaving him clean. "This is how you treat me," Ranma started, while barely holding his anger in, "When I set out to explain myself. You guys never change!"  
  
Cologne and Happosai remained standing in total shock; as if frozen to the spot, much to everyone's amazement. Ranma huffed, and his glare became softer and morose, "I'd doing this, because Akane needs me to do it. Because it's the only way for us to be together, for good."  
  
"Ranma, Akane's dead," Soun replied with not a tinge of emotion.  
  
Ranma smirked, and let out a chuckle, "No, there is no good way to correct what you had said." Everyone recieved an even bigger shock, as the last person the ever expected to stride down the street, approached them.  
  
Akane walked up to Ranma, her cloak dragging on the ground as she moved, and stood by him, "Now, I wanted all of you to know my reasons, so that even if you do hate me for what I am about to do, you'll at least understand my motives."  
  
"Do what, Ranma?" Tofu asked, being the only one able to get his facilties together. He knew, he knew right after he asked the question, he should have rushed at Ranma, to prevent whatever was about to happen. It didn't matter if he instinctively knew that it would not make a difference.  
  
Ranma didn't vocally answer; instead preferring to reply by holding his right hand up in the air, allowing the sunlight to reflect off of the charming and ornament ring adorning his ring finger. He looked directly into everyone's eyes, it seemed, before finally speaking, "I cannot ask you for your forgiveness, but I'm sorry," he then balled his hand into a fist. At the action, an overwhelming wave of energy surged from it, and in a heartbeat, pulsed throughout the universe...  
  
"No, oh Ancestors, no..." Cologne whispered, for the worst possible thing she could ever possibly imagine... 


	6. 'Repercussions' Section 1 (by Midnight S...

X/1999 segment Contributed by Midnight Sun  
______________________  
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Nature was everywhere in the deep green forest. Wisps of white clouds drifted by, and the sweet sound of distant birds accentuated the perfect representation of natural beauty.   
  
It was a rural and lush forest somewhere in Japan, and within this perfect picture of nature's glory a single teenager kneeled in front of a large oaken tree. A tan jacket lay strewn over his shoulders, and a long wrapped bundle laid in the rich grass at his side. A somber expression was across his delicate face, as he stared longingly at the small flowers laid at the base in rememberance. Remembrance of a girl who had given him so many childhood memories, when times were so much simpler. Now...she was gone, and all he could do was honor her memory, and hope her sacrifice would not be in vain.  
  
"I'm sorry, did I bother you?" Another young man in a yellow jacket and backwards basball cap asked as Kamui finally stood, taking the wrapped Sacred Sword in one hand.  
  
"No." Kamui answered softly.  
  
"You asked the chief director to bury Kotori's body under this tree," Sorata remembered, before a brief smile came to his face. "It's a nice and peaceful place."  
  
He saw that his attempt to lighten the mood had not been effective. Kamui's face was still a mix of sadness and melodiousness.   
  
"I'm sorry," Sorata corrected and his expression sobered. "I promised to protect you with all my soul, and yet there was nothing I could do. I'm sorry."  
  
"No...it was because I didn't believe in anyone," Kamui admitted, and then turned to face his fellow Seal. "But it's going to be different now..."  
  
Sorata felt a slight bit of weight lift from his shoulders. At least he knew Kamui was learning, and growing, from the harrowing experience.  
  
"Would you mind if I prayed to her too?" Sorata asked.  
  
"Would you mind if we all prayed?" A new voice interrupted.  
  
Sorata turned around to find all the other Seals, Aoki, Yuzuriha, Arashi, and Subaru.  
  
"Can I be included?"   
  
They looked up to just in time to see Karen dropping down from the trees, landing as lightly as a feather.  
  
"Yes," Kamui smiled for the first time in a long time. "Kotori would like that."  
  
The birds continued singing their blissful song as the Seven Seals took turns honoring a fallen friend, despite that most of them had never even met her before. They all knew, however, how much of an effect she had on Kamui, and that was all they needed to know.  
  
Karen was the last one to pay her respects, and by that time, the three flowers that Kamui had originally laid had grown into several dozen.  
  
"If you don't mind, could you introduce yourselves to each other?" Karen asked after rising from her kneeling and turning to face everyone else. "My name is Kasumi Karen."  
  
"Yeah, huh," Sorata remembered. "I don't think I've introduced myself to some of you. I'm Arisugawa Sorata."  
  
"Kishu Arashi."  
  
"Sumeragi Subaru."  
  
"Seiichirou Aoki."  
  
"I'm Yuzuriha Neko..."  
  
Yuzuriha suddenly stopped mid-sentence. Everyone turned their attention to her suddenly, and they noticed the flabbergasted expression that had suddenly overcome her face.  
  
"Yuzuriha?" Aoki wondered over her sudden change.  
  
Her reply was naught, as she suddenly fell to her knees with a blank expression on her face. Inuki then  
reeled in shock; no longer feeling her through the connection they shared. She collapsed, as if she were a rag doll that lost its balance. Her eyes remained unfocused, and stared into the distance.  
  
"YUZURIHA!" Aoki immediately ran to her as she fell forward, her form totally still, and at that same moment, Inuki vanished into thin air.  
  
"What's wrong with her?" Sorata asked in bewilderment.  
  
"Oh my God," Aoki gasped as she felt for a pulse. "She's dead..."  
  
"What?!" They all said in near unison.  
  
They were all about to rush to her aid, as futile as it was, whenever an exhale of breath from relaxing lungs caught their attention. Subaru was laying on the ground to the ground, with a lifeless stare.  
  
Kamui had joined the fallen, along with by Arashi. Their lives had been cut all too abruptly and suddenly, leaving no trace of ailment.  
  
Sorata, Aoki, and Kasumi could only there in stark horror at what had just occurred. Three of their comrades, their friends, had just died, right before their very eyes.   
  
Little could they comprehend the unnatural, and yet omnipotent, force at work... 


	7. 'Repercussions' Section 2 (By C-chan)

Tenchi Muyo Section submitted by C-chan  
  
It was a normal day in the Masaki household - normal, of course, being a relative term. By anyone's standards, Tenchi Masaki's life would be considered far from normal. In truth, he could hardly remember what it was like to be a normal teenage boy. Not that he regretted the life he lived now, far from it. As chaotic as his present situation may be, he couldn't imagine life without the friends he had come to know in the past year or so, however strange those friends may be. But sometimes, sometimes, he wished that he could go back to being an ordinary teenager again, if only for a day. Today was one of those days. Tenchi stared morosely at the scene before him, the cause of his present frustration.  
  
Ryoko and Ayeka were fighting. Again.  
  
It was a scene all too familiar to the beleaguered young man. The almost daily fights between the Juraian princess and the ex-space pirate were getting to be so predictable that it would have been considered boring were it not for the massive property damage that would inevitably result. Tenchi had even forgotten what had started this most recent fracas. Not that it mattered much anyway; whatever the cause, the reason behind all the fights could be boiled down to one thing: him.  
  
"Uh, girls?" pleaded Tenchi. "Why don't we all just try to calm down, alright?" Unfortunately, his plea went unheard, judging from the way sparks were shooting back and forth between the two. Oh, Kami, he thought, why does this always happen to me?  
  
Ayeka, princess of Jurai, glared at the former space pirate across from her, ignoring Tenchi's attempt at restoring order. "Stay away from Tenchi-sama, you monster woman!" she ordered, eyes flashing. "And take your... 'snacks' away with you. I'll not have you poison my Tenchi-sama with your pathetic attempt at cooking."  
  
With each word Ayeka spoke, Ryoko's face grew even more purple with rage until she could take it no longer. "Your Tenchi?!" she burst out, incredulous. "Ha! As if a prissy, stuck-up little princess like you has a chance with him. Tenchi is mine! Now get out of the way so I can give him these cookies I baked." Ryoko made as if to push past the other girl but found her way solidly blocked.  
  
"No, I won't alow it! Who knows what kind of things are in it!" Ayeka eyed the cookie-filled plate Ryoko held in her hands with distrust. Charcoal would look a lot more appealing than Ryoko's cookies. "A barbarian like you shouldn't even be allowed in the kitchen, much less cook."  
  
"Why you...!" Ryoko reflexively reached out to strangle the Juraian princess, then just as suddenly changed tactics. "Tenchi," she implored, turning dewy eyes on the befuddled boy. "You like my cookies, don't you? Aren't I a better cook than Miss Prim-and-Proper here?"  
  
"That's not true!" Ayeka retorted, stung. "I can make a better dish than anything an uncivilized space pirate could come up with. Right, Tenchi-sama?" She threw beseeching, yet threatening, look at Tenchi.  
  
Tenchi sweated nervously under their intense gazes. This was a no-win situation; to favor any one of the girls would mean incurring the wrath of the other. He wished there was someone else in the room to take some of the pressure off him. Unfortunately, both Sasami and Ryo-ohki were in the kitchen, his father was out to work, his grandfather was up at the shrine, and Kiyone and Mihoshi were patrolling Earth orbit om Galaxy Police business. Tenchi would even have welcomed Washuu's interference, but the diminutive scientist had been locked up in her lab since yesterday.  
  
Out of options, Tenchi settled for a nondescript "Ahh..." while slowly backing away. He racked his brain, trying to come up with ways to stall the inevitable violence, but got nothing. Fortunately for him, rescue came in the form of Nobuyuki Masaki, arriving home early from work. Tenchi gave an inward sigh of relief. Thank you, Dad, he thought.  
  
"I'll go answer the door," he told them hurriedly, rushing to do just that before both girls remembered that Nobuyuki didn't need someone to answer the door for him. By the time Tenchi reached the genkan, the girls had ceased their protest of his actions and were back to fighting amongst themselves. From what the young man could hear, it seemed that Ryoko was trying to force Ayeka to eat one of her cookies — as a taste test, or so she said.  
  
"Well, son, the girls seem to be getting frisky again," the elder Masaki said, grinning at his son, as he tapped his shoes on the genkan to remove dust.  
  
"Frisky is not the word, Dad," Tenchi sighed. Behind him, the sounds of argument grew more heated. There was a sudden crash, followed by several loud explosions. Tenchi winced as smoke billowed out of the living room. Well, there goes the house, he thought wryly.  
  
Nobuyuki laughed and clapped a hand on his son's shoulder. "To have two beautiful girls fight over you... You make your father proud!" His smile widened. "Why, you're a lot like me when I was your age. Such a hit with the ladies..."  
  
"Dad!" Tenchi rolled his eyes in exasperation. After the Kain incident he knew that his father's allegations of being a young Don Juan were nothing more than tall tales. He shook hos head at his father's antics. "Come on, Dad," he said, "Ryoko and Ayeka should be done fighting by now. Here, let me help you with that." He reached for the rolls of paper that Nobuyuki carried with him from work, being careful not to crumple the sheets.  
  
"I'm hungry," Nobuyuki suddenly announced. "I haven't had a bite to eat since breakfast. Do you think Sasami'll be able to prepare me something?" His expression turned hopeful as he thought of Sasami's delicious cooking, a far cry from the usual take-out or instant ramen he and his son were accustomed to before their strange visitors' arrival.  
  
"Well, it's still early yet, but I think she can come up with something," Tenchi said as he and Nobuyuki walked into the house. Suddenly, they heard a shout from the living room, a cry filled with horror and denial. Father and son exchanged a startled glance.  
  
"That sounded like Ryoko," Tenchi said, worried. They hurried to the living room.  
  
The room was a mess. Several of the furniture bore scorch marks and a table had been overturned, two of its legs missing. Pieces of broken plate and cookies littered the floor. In the center of the room lay the still form of the princess of Jurai. Beside her, Ryoko turned fearful eyes on Tenchi.  
  
"I didn't mean to kill her, Tenchi — I swear!" Ryoko pleaded desperately. "All I did was feed her a cookie, I didn't know something like this would happen!"  
  
"Dead?" Tenchi whispered, shocked. He knelt beside the fallen princess and checked for signs of life. He found none. "No... this can't be true. We have to do something! Dad! What should we do? Dad?" He looked around for his father and suddenly stopped, his expression stricken.  
  
"Dad!" he cried, seeing Nobuyuki's still body lying at the room's entrance. He rushed over, frantically trying to revive the elder Masaki. But it was no use; no matter what he did, all his efforts were futile. Tenchi clenched his fists in anger, tears streaming down his face. "Dad... Ayeka..."  
  
A hand gently touched his shoulder. "Tenchi, I'm sorry." Ryoko's voice choked with emotion. "Do you hate me?"  
  
Tenchi shook his head. "No, Ryoko, I don't hate you. It's not your fault. I don't know what really happened, but I know it's not your fault." His eyes suddenly widened as an idea occured to him. "Washuu. Washuu will know what to do."  
  
"I'm sorry, Tenchi, but there's nothing I can do," Washuu suddenly spoke. No one had even seen her enter the room. The diminutive scientist's expression was grave as she looked straight at Tenchi.  
  
"What do you mean you can't do anything?!" Ryoko burst out angrily, grabbing Washuu by the front of her coat and thrusting herself face to face with the redhead. "You're supposed to be the greatest genius in the universe! There should be something you can do!"  
  
Washuu wearily shook her head. "Death is beyond my power. Despite all my inventions, I can't bring someone back from the dead." She leveled a look at the distraught young man. "If it's any consolation, I can tell you that what just happened was no accident. Ayeka and you father were murdered."  
  
The room's other occupants were stunned at the news, Ryoko absently letting go of the shorter girl. Finally, Tenchi spoke.  
  
"Murdered? Who did it? And how?"  
  
"I don't know who, and neither do I know how it was done. A while ago some of my sensors picked up a slight energy spike. It was so brief that I ordinarily wouldn't even have noticed it. But the energy signal was to regular to be natural, and it occured at the same time as Ayeka and Mr. Masaki's... deaths. Circumstantial, I know, but too unlikely to be just a coincidence."  
  
"In other words, you're just guessing," Ryoko growled. "It seems that there's a lot that you don't know, Washuu."  
  
"But it's a start," Tenchi observed. Just then, he felt a tugging on his pants leg. He looked down to see a frightened looking cabbit. "Ryo-ohki?" he asked in confusion. "What is it?"  
  
"Miya!" The little cabbit gave one final tug on Tenchi's leg then ran all the way to the kitchen entrance, stopping to look back at Tenchi and the others. "Miya miyaa MIIYAAAAA!!!!!"  
  
"She wants us to follow," Ryoko interpreted.  
  
Understanding dawned, and Tenchi paled. "Oh my god! Sasami!"  
  
His cry galvanized the others and together they followed Ryo-ohki into the kitchen, stopping at the sight of Sasami collapsed beneath the sink. Washuu hurried over to check on the girl.  
  
"She's alive, but barely," she pronounced. Tenchi and Ryoko slumped in relief. Washuu held out a hand, a gleaming mechanical device appearing in her grip. She ran the scanner over Sasami's body.  
  
"Vital signs are low, but there are no injuries, no abnormalities. However, there's no denying that her condition is critical. Frankly, I'm surprised that she's even alive at all."  
  
"Is there anything we can do?" Tenchi somberly asked.  
  
Washuu thought a moment, then nodded. "Ryoko, I need you to carry her to my lab. I'll need more than just this scanner to find out what exactly is going on. And Tenchi? If it's all right with you, can you see if you can move Ayeka and Nobuyuki to a room until we figure out what to do?"  
  
Ryoko and Tenchi nodded. Gently picking Sasami off the floor, the former space pirate followed Washuu to her lab. Tenchi stood staring at the door as they left. He lifted anguished eyes heavenward.  
  
"We'll avenge you, Dad, Ayeka, Sasami," he whispered fervently. "I swear we will!" 


	8. 'Repercussions' Section 3 (by Carrotglac...

Sailor Moon Segment contributed by Carrotglace  
  
Usagi Tsukino struggled to see through the mist that surrounded her.  
Fear welled up in her heart as she stared around at the nothingness that  
consumed her world. "Where am I? What's going on?" she muttered  
fearfully.  
  
It was dark and cold; a wind blew the mist into thousands of tiny  
swirls that obscured her vision as she ran across the rocky ground. It  
was endless and flat, nothing but a dull gray could be seen in the  
distance. "No! What's happening?"  
  
A dark force seemed to fill her soul as she stopped suddenly. It was  
formless, yet somehow filled the area in which she stood. "Hello!" She  
called out to it desperately. "Is anyone there?" Her heart beat  
frantically with terror as she glanced around at her surroundings  
nervously. "What's happening?"  
  
"Usagi!" Finally, a familiar voice.  
  
"Mamoru!" she whirled around with tears of relief in her eyes. "I was  
so scared!"  
  
"You have to leave! Right now!" said the figure in the mist. He had not  
yet approached her.  
  
"What's going on?" she stammered as she walked up to him slowly. For  
the first time she could remember, he didn't reach for her in her  
dreams.  
  
"You have to leave! Please!" pleaded the older boy as he frowned at  
her. "Just go! It's dangerous!"  
  
"What? Why? Tell me!" she cried as he started to back away. "Don't  
leave me here alone!"  
  
He gave her a halfhearted smile. "I could never leave you alone. You  
know that."  
  
The girl gasped as she took a single step back. "Mamo?"  
  
The boy's image started to fade away, a painful look crossed his  
features. "Go! Please!"  
  
Usagi stepped towards him again. "What? What's happening to you?!"  
  
"Usagi! Run! It's too late for me!" he cried out as he dashed away.  
  
"Mamoru!" she screamed as she watched him run. He fell to his knees on  
the ground and crumpled down to the ground. "No!" As fast as her legs  
could carry her, she rushed up to his side. "Are you hurt? Please tell  
me what's happening!?"  
  
The boy simply looked up at her with a sort of wistful smile on his  
face. "Goodbye, Usa?"  
  
"Mamoru?" she muttered as she shook his shoulder lightly, or rather  
tried too. Her hand passed right through the slowly fading body of her  
beloved. "No!" she whispered in horror.  
  
The dark presence seemed to return like a tidal wave into the area.  
Usagi slowly rose to her feet and glanced around. "What's going on  
here?"  
  
She hadn't yet noticed the dark cloud forming in the sky overhead.  
Thunder boomed loudly and echoed off the nothingness that surrounded  
her. "Come out!" she cried as her voice firmed suddenly.  
  
She could feel the dark claws clutching for her, invisible, yet somehow  
gripping her very soul as she struggled to stand. "Stop! Why are you  
doing this?!" she cried in defiance.   
  
There was no answer as the claws dug into her flesh, she saw the blood  
flow from her arms as they scratched at her body. Distinct claw marks  
began to form, three of them marring her cheek as she struggled and  
writhed in pain. "No! Leave me alone!"  
  
+++++++++++++++++  
  
"She's been like this since last night." Ami Mizuno frowned as she  
stared at Pluto. "We don't know what to do."  
  
The tall dark skinned senshi merely nodded.   
  
Minako was sitting in the corner watching Usagi sleep. They were in her  
room and had little fear of the girl's parents coming up to find them.  
They were all sitting around the kitchen table with their faces in their  
breakfast.  
  
Pluto looked at the blonde and frowned. "There is little we can do to  
help her."  
  
Minako stood up and glared at her. "What's going on? You know something  
don't you?" Her voice was full of fear and anger.  
  
Pluto's expression never changed. "No. I know nothing."  
  
"Are we the only ones left?" asked Ami quietly.  
  
"Saturn has not yet been affected," replied Pluto as she turned to look  
down at Usagi again. The girl was covered in a cold sweat, and her chest  
was rising and falling in slow labored breaths.  
  
"There's nothing we can do? What kind of crap is that?" snapped Venus  
angrily.  
  
"We don't even know what's causing this," replied Ami as she looked at  
her friend.  
  
"We're all dying! One by one! She's the senshi of time! She knows  
everything else, but not this?" snarled the girl as she faced the  
shorthaired girl.  
  
"There is a force strong enough to block my power. I know nothing of  
the future now, I can look back to the beginning of time if I wish, but  
I cannot look even a moment into the future any longer."  
  
"Chibi Usa?" said Ami.  
  
"She is still missing, I fear what that could mean for the princess,"  
said Setsuna as she detransformed. Her face was tired and worn, and her  
hair was a mess. The transformation had disguised it until that moment.  
  
Minako stepped back and gasped with shock.  
  
"I am powerless to do anything against this. I cannot find what has  
caused it, nor can I discover the source of this evil."  
  
"Then there is nothing we can do." The girls turned to see Luna  
standing in the doorway. "We can only hope that we can discover this  
darkness, before it is too late."  
  
Pluto nodded silently. "That is all we can do."  
  
"So we just sit here and wait!?" screamed Minako in shock.  
  
"I will do all I can, but I fear it will not be enough," said Pluto as  
she turned to look the girl dead in the eyes.  
  
There was a bright light that filled the room suddenly. Usagi Tsukino  
sat upright in bed, her eyes wide with horror.   
  
"Usagi!" cried Ami as she rushed up to her friend's side. Minako was at  
her side in an instant.  
  
"The crystal!" muttered Setsuna in shock. She took a step back.  
  
"No! Dark Demon! Leave them alone!" screamed Usagi at the top of her  
lungs.  
  
The girls all had to shield their eyes at the light that filled the  
room. The crystal on Usagi's chest shone with a brilliant light that  
turned everything white.  
  
"What's happening?!" cried Minako as she staggered back.  
  
The light ended in an instant, and Minako and Ami stood with their arms  
over their faces. Slowly they brought them down as their eyes adjusted  
to the dim light once again. The room was dark and the moonlight was the  
only reason they could see anything at all.  
  
Usagi was lying in the bed with a gentle smile on her face. Her eyes  
were wide open as she stared at the ceiling.   
  
"Usagi?" muttered Minako as she staggered to her knees and shook the  
girl by her shoulders.  
  
"She's gone," muttered Ami as she looked down at the girl with tears in  
her eyes.  
  
Minako turned slowly to look at her. "What?"  
  
Luna and Setsuna were both lying on the ground, neither one of them was  
breathing. They looked peaceful lying on the ground. The one thing that  
sent chills down the two survivor's spines was the vacant stare that  
they were both giving as they looked forward from wherever their heads  
had fallen.  
  
"No!" whispered Minako as she rose to her feet.  
  
"Usagi used the last of her strength to protect us from whatever did  
this," said Ami as she looked around the room with tears falling from  
her face. The events didn't seem to have quite hit her yet.   
  
Minako nodded slowly. "Dark Demon."  
  
"Whatever that is," agreed Ami quietly.  
  
"We've got to find out. We can't wait," said the blonde as she reached  
out and touched the crystal on Usagi's chest. She looked into her  
friend's eyes and swallowed. Minako closed her eyes and pulled the  
crystal from the girl's pajama top. "I'm sorry Usagi. We will find a way  
to make this right. I swear it."  
  
Ami put her hand on the girl's shoulder. "Come on. We've got to find  
Hotaru. Setsuna said she's not gone yet."  
  
Minako frowned and nodded as she gripped the brooch in her hand. "I  
know. Then we'll find the one who did this."  
  
Ami glanced at the window for a moment and looked up at the moon. She  
almost walked towards it, but moved to the door of the bedroom instead.  
"Come on. We don't have much time."  
  
Minako nodded slowly and frowned. "I know." 


	9. Chapter 5

Ranma; Ascension  
  
  
  
Nabiki continued up the trail to the farm ahead. Her expression was worn and tired; not from her audious trek, but from previous events. The remaining Tendou started finally reached the main door, and after a moment's hesitation, knocked.  
  
She wasn't in a hurry, so the she spared the time with dead patience until the resident of the Unryuu pig farm. After a few minutes, Ryoga opened up the door.  
  
The young man had the same dead expression she was wearing on his unwashed face. It was still streaked with tears, and his appearance was totally unkept.  
  
"What." He asked, the young woman standing before him heard the finality of the period instead of the question mark. His voice sounded the same, exept for the hollow feeling it radiated; Nabiki easily knew why Ryoga was now the one who answered the phone.  
  
"It's Ranma's fault," Nabiki said simply in a voice that was just as hollow, if not also colder. If Ryoga didn't know better or cared, he would have sworn he was talking to a mechanical construct instead of another human being.  
  
Ryoga nodded, the feintest flicker of vengence sparking in his eye, like two flints struck in eternal darkness.  
_____________________  
  
"[The Sanitation situation is currently..]"  
  
::Click::  
  
"[Christan population has dubbed 'The Rapture', as...]"  
  
::Click::  
  
"[Doomsday cult bombed the...]"  
  
::Click::  
  
"[The American City of Chicago has been put under quarentine due to the escape of a deadly...]"  
  
::Click::  
  
"[...blames Iran and launched their devistating biological weaponry...]"  
  
::Click::  
  
"[We have yet to establish the cause of the mass...]"  
  
::Click::  
  
"[...remaining American and Nato forces have been called in to...]"  
  
::Click::  
  
"[..panese Diet has issued a statement that...]"  
  
Cologne numbly flipped through the channels. Even without having watched the news on the late Dr. Tofu's satilite system, she already knew the problem was world wide, and beyond. This was something unfathomable even to her, even with her three hundred years experience, along with five thousand years of history. She had always believed that Gods welded their absolute power with absolute responsibility, arbeit at many times becoming petty and rash, they usually remained just. It had never occured to her that someone could gain that power and use it for such an absolute tragedy.  
  
It was simple as this, Ranma was insane. Even if omnipotence hadn't totally overwhelmed his psyche, he was too far gone after Akane's death. With the most spiteful curse she could imagine, she wished Ranma had died with the Tendou girl. Of course, she would not stay dead, and was apparently the influence of his actions. Cologne felt her overwhelming aura when she caught sight of Akane, but didn't notice it until she saw her. Just what was Akane? She was too, too far beyond a mere 'ghost'. In fact, she seemed to be so much *more* than anything Cologne encountered. The former Amazon Matriarch suspected that Herb or Saffron combined would have been nothing more than a campfire compared to Akane's blazing sun. The girl was weilding power on a fundamental level like she was an integral part of everything that is.  
  
"Great-Grandmother, Nabiki is on her way with Ryoga," Shampoo stated, as she walked into the main room of the loft. They had taken up at least temperary residence at the clinic, as Cologne was one of the few left in Nerima that had the capability of utilizing it's facilities. After 'the Culling', as she had dubbed it, the world was thrown into total turmoil. Hospitals suddenly found themselves completely understaffed with all the sudden accidents that suddenly struck, while what rescue workers that were left were severely overtaxed. Airports, docks, trainstations, and other mass transportation was in ruins. Nations were blaming each other as if it were an intentional attack on them that may have backfired. World Economies could forget about recovering from the sudden devistaton, and would be severely lucky if all didn't regress to primal 'survival of the fittest' ideals. Many people are following their loved ones to oblivion, not finding the power to survive without them, while others are damning them for leaving them behind. Religions are in an uproar, igniting even millinea dead conflicts between such major ones as Christian and ancient Pagan religions. The world was a sad state, to say the least.  
  
Cologne nodded to her Great-Granddaughter and dismissed her. Shampoo left the clinic, and went to check up on those who were currently staying at the Tendou home. She let herself in, and found Tarou still completely griefed. Shampoo couldn't blame him, as he lost both his wife and his unborn child in one swift motion. The Amazon runner sat in meditation, preparing for a battle she had no idea would come, but knew she would have to face it. Herb had sent his most trusted associates, Lime and Mint to assist with whatever was being dealt in Nerima, stating he would be with them as soon as he could restore order in the Quangxi Providence. Kiima had told Herb to relay that Saffron would be arriving as soon as he completed his transformation.  
  
"What doe the Amazon Matriarch report?" Mint enquired of Shampoo. He was now tall and lithe in form, and he had also grown quite a bit in maturity as well. He was well known as Herb's ambassador throughout the Chinese provinces for his wolf like cunning in negotiations and always serious attitude with a hint of feralness that always edged his voice.  
  
"She has nothing to say until everyone else arrives," Shampoo replied quietly. She did not relish giving them the news, and did not want to face any confrontation if at all possible. Mint noticed her subdued tone, and nodded to drop the issue.  
  
"Your Grandmother knows something of what's going on, I want to hear it RIGHT NOW!" Tarou shot up with a furious expression. Both Mint and Lime stepped between Shampoo and Tarou.  
  
"We'll all find out what was the cause of the Great Death soon enough. If the revered Matriarch has decided that it is not nessesary to tell us immidiately, I assume that it is because there is nothing we can do about it yet," Mint replied in the calmest voice he could muster. Unfortunately, to Tarou, everything currently sounded menacing.  
  
In a quick motion, he pulled out his water gourd, and dumped it over his head. In a swift motion, both of Herb's most trusted went into action. Mint seemed to blink out of existance, as Lime slammed into the large beast with a shoulder charge. Tarou was sent flying through the living room and through a wall into the snow covered back yard. Mint reappeared on Tarou's back, and tied his octopus arms together. Tarou quickly brought himself to standing, shrugging off the wolf-boy on his back, just before a sizable length of chain wrapped him like a metallic mummy, leaving only his head exposed.  
  
Mousse and Ukyo both stepped into the back yard, and Ukyo walked up to the downed beast and dumped a steaming kettle of water onto him. Every fighter was ready to reinstigate the battle if Tarou decided to push issues. They were mildly shocked when he curled up and went back ot quietly crying.  
  
Nabiki arrived about that time with Ryoga and both Kuno siblings. "Did we arrive at a bad time?" Kuno stated with misplaced mirth, "And Nabiki, no comment as to who would be the one supplying the expenditures for replacement of the wall?"  
  
"Stuff it, brother," Kodachi stated without her tone of madness.  
  
"I'll contact Cologne, so that we may now find out what this is all about." With that, Nabiki left for the phone. It wasn't long when the elderly woman arrived.  
  
"This problem... it goes farther than any of you truly realize," she started, hoping she could instill just how large a scope the situation was.  
  
"Well, from the news reports, I would guess it's worldwide," Ukyo interjected, "Just WHAT is it that Ranma did?"  
  
"It's actually more of the whole universe," Cologne said wryly, earning rather shocked looks from all who were able to still show emotion, "And as for what Ranma did, was greater than any deeds of the combined devils of every plane of the Hells could ever contrive. What I am about to tell you is knowlege very, very few have been privy to, and should have remained that way, if events hadn't forced my hand. This planet once held a great power, something was essential to the way of everything. It was the power of balance, balance for the whole Universe. It didn't originate on this planet, since it was far older than this planet itself. In fact, it's far older than anything in the universe, since it was part of the universe itself.  
  
"This isn't making any sense," Lime stated with a growl.  
  
Cologne ignored him, and continued, "For this particular force, there was two guardians, one is born every generation, while the other is reborn every thousand years. They are the Dragon and the Pheonix."  
  
"So, Lord Herb and Saffron," Mint concluded.  
  
"The Amazons were but a part of the guardians forces. Everyone in the Quaingxi province had a duty to keep watch over the power the Gods bestowed into our care. Apparently Ranma has now acquired that power for himself."  
  
"Ranma's some sort of God now?" Nabiki asked with a sterile voice.  
  
"Ranma isn't 'some sort of God'... he *is* THE God. That power he gathered was only but part of whole, and would only work once it was in unison with all other parts. It was hypothosized that there were five or six parts; Balance, which resided on this planet, Power, Soul, Reality, Infinity, and Eternity. When they are brought together, the weilder would have all there is at his beckon."  
  
"So Ranma is an omnipotent being and decided to just up and kill as many people as possible everywhere? That doesn't make sense, and where does Akane come into all this!" Ukyo demanded, finding everything Cologne told them so hard to believe.  
  
"You are essentially correct, though I do not know his motives, nor do I know where the long thought dead Akane Tendou has to do with all this. I will tell you that Akane has... changed since we last saw her."  
  
"Changed? How so?" Ryoga asked, with a tint of curiosity in his voice which was more intellectual than anything else.  
  
"I am not for certain, but I would presume that she may be the reason Ranma obtained his Godhood in the first place."  
  
"Also, you stated that one of these... powers or something resided on this planet. Are we to assume that the others were somewhere else in space? How did Ranma manage to go wherever and get these things?" Ukyo enquired.  
  
"I do not know everything," Cologne replied with a weary tone, "Perhaps the same way he managed to get away from us the other day when we were... distracted."  
  
"You mean he used the Umisenken? How would that help him get off planet?" Ukyo retorted.  
  
Cologne looked directly at Ukyo, "That was not the Umisenken, I assure you."  
_____________________  
  
Yosho's expression remained stern. He had turned down the thrown of Jurai. With Azusa's death along with roughly half the Juraian population, the kingdom was thrown into turmoil. It may have well destroyed itself, if not for the return of key members of the royal family. Funaho was desperately attempting to hold everything together herself, but it was apparent that she was under the severe strain of the task. When her son had returned, she pleaded with him to take his place as Emperor of Jurai, but was steadfastly refused. Instead, Yosho suggested that Tenchi take the mantle, as he was most befitted for it.  
  
That is how they ended up in their present situation. Yosho had forgotten how manipulative the 'advisors' of the Jurai Royal Family could be, and managed to convince Tenchi to allow the entire Juraian fleet to deal with the threat, and were currently en route to where Washu had stated the origin point was... Earth.  
  
Yosho looked over to his stern faced grandson. Tenchi was currently too set on revenge to think straight, and he had wished he had seen it before suceeding throne to the young man. Ryoko herself was looking out a viewscreen into the dead depths of space with a neutral expression. Yosho knew she may not have gotten along with Princess Aeka, Ryoko loved her like a sister. An annoying, rival sister arbeit, and possibly even something more. Tsunami stayed near the Juraian Tree of the ship, never moving from her self imposed post. The catastrophy that swept through the universe affected her in ways he could not even begin to understand. As it was, Sasami's humanity was the only thing keeping her reigned.  
  
Off ship, in one of the Galaxy Police Vessels, both Mihoshi and Kiyone had expressions of total proffessionalism. On Kiyone it was expected, on Mihoshi it was something few people had ever seen of her. Contrary to everyone's beliefs, when the situation was dire enough, Mihoshi could show all exactly why she was a first class Galaxy Police Detective, without argument.  
  
They would eventually be joined by the Oni forces, among others, as they made their way to the destined planet. And there would be a reckoning.  
_____________________  
  
Heaven was in turmoil... God was gone. Urd, along with Poeth and other remaining deities struggled to bring Yggdasil back to a fluid order. It was thrown for a total loop when an outside force that reigned even over the world system itself kicked in, and pulled the proverbal rug from under it's base. Not only that, he who reigns over all suddenly dissappeared along with half the gods in Heaven; mirroring what has happened on Earth and in Hell. It would be a small consolence that the demons down below were having their own problems and could not cause any more added trouble.  
_____________________  
  
Hild growled, her domain was being wretched from her hands. Most of the remaining major demons were fighting amongst themselves over what had happened. Some even had the audacity to take claim over being the one to cost such a catastrophic situation that NO demon with sense would favor. There was a great deal of problems it wrought for them as well as everyone else.  
  
In a corner recess of Hell, a lone chaos demon trembled at the though of being found out. Maybe tampering with the life of Ranma Saotome wasn't the best of pasttimes to indulge in?  
_____________________  
  
A portal opened up in a vast valley in the Quangxi Province, emitting a pigtailed young man and his consort. They held a wordless communication between each other, and when it was finished, Ranma sat himself on a rock and began fiddling with his ring, while Akane stood by.  
  
All they needed to do now was wait 


	10. Chapter 6

Ranma 1/2  
Ascension  
  
  
  
"That still leaves us with where Ranma got his newfound abilities," Mint interjected, "If he is capable of traveling off-planet for his tasks, we should assume an accomplice, possibly."  
  
"That would be a good assumption," Cologne replied, "which brings me to the subject of Akane."  
  
"That can't be Akane," Nabiki simply stated as if it were as factual as stating the grass was green. Cologne would have flinched at the lack of emotion in the girl, she was as dead as the rest of her kin. As it was, the old woman could barely muster enough strength to continue herself.  
  
"I agree with you Ms. Tendou. Whoever that was was well too powerful to be your desceased sister, to be anything that was once mortal, for that matter. Who, or whatever she was, had power to aid Ranma in whatever he needed to do."  
  
"Great, so Ranma is being mind controlled by that conniving bitch?" Ukyo grabbed onto the idea without any other consideration. It obviously would be the only possible explanation for what Ranma's doing. There's no way he could have done... what he did.  
  
Cologne shook her head sadly; no matter what she would say, she knew the girl would not believe her, "Saotome-san, Ranma was doing this all of his own free will. If you were to notice, he had looked at the being wearing the guise of Akane with total adoration and love beyond all else. Influenced, maybe, but obviously not mind control."  
  
"Aye, the desceased, though as noble as it was for him to willingly submit to his own demise for his hand in the angel Akane Tendou's demise, was far from innocent in his blackened heart."  
  
"All of this is redundant until we are able to figure what his next move is," Mousse added, after gagging Kuno with a rubber ducky, "Unless we are able to get more from him, all of this is stipulation."  
  
"Correct on some accounts," Cologne answered, "He has made the opening volley, it is now our turn."  
  
"Great-Grandmother? You have something in mind?"  
  
"Yes, and as much as I'm sure the rest of you would be displeased, I need for you to sit tight until for the time being." With that, Cologne bounded from the Tendou home, and towards the Cat Cafe.  
____________________________________  
  
Ranma continued to sit on the rock he had found in the opening, ignoring the two Musk scouts that were watching him from the coverings of the woods. He knew they knew who he was already, and instead of attempting to confront him or greet him, they would go report to Herb or whoever was currently in charge. Soon enough everyone would know he was here.  
  
"So... that is Ranma?" enquired the feral looking though slender boy that had feathers lining the collar of his tunic.  
  
"Yes, that is the one our prince holds in such reverence," replied the taller and also slender boy with hair like a horse's mane, "Perhaps it would be best if we were to allow Prince Herb the honor of greeting him?"  
  
The two scouts nodded to each other, hand headed back. Ranma turned to where they had departed from, and smiled.  
____________________________________  
  
"Welcome, it is not often I get visitors," greeted the young man with hair that waved in a non-existant wind and appeared as if it were made of a part of space itself, if such a description could be fitted.  
  
"I am sure you know the reason I am here," Cologne replied, cutting to the chase.  
  
The young man frowned, and sat down in the wicker chair that was suddenly behind him, "What is it you require of me."  
  
"You can put a stop to this." Cologne said simply, and kept her expression neutral at the sudden smirk her host drew.  
  
"How do you surmise that?"  
  
"You were the one that we were to come to if such a situation were to arise. Such power does not belong in the hands of a boy, and how he wields it is unjustly. You have to admit that he is not worthy."  
  
The young warrior's smile grew larger, "So, that is the reason no one ever comes to visit. You know it gets rather lonely..." he looked around at... whatever, "here."  
  
Cologne knew better than to look around, to do so would quickly rip her mind apart, as her perceptions were not made to handle the 'scenery' for lack of a better word. It was taking all she had to just scale down her senses and imagine the young warrior and the wicker chair he sat in. Cologne had even approached him with her eyes closed, so that she would not suffer the sensory overload the dimension she was in would reek on her. "This is a serious situation, though it may not be of your total concern you..."  
  
"Oh, I have a great deal of concern in this matter with Ranma Saotome," The other realm God interjected, "But... that is not the reason I will not help you."  
  
"What?" Cologne hoped she had heard him wrong, "Can you explain your answer, if I may?"  
  
"Simple, Ranma has not done anything wrong."  
  
"WHAT?!?" Cologne was sure this dimension was playing with her mind now.  
  
"No, you are not being driven insane by this place," the young man consoled, knowing the elder woman's thoughts.  
  
"He has killed half of the universe on a WHIM!"  
  
The young warrior shrugged, "Your point being?" Cologne wanted to argue, but she already knew it was futile. "Ranma simply is following one of your universe's prime edicts, 'Survival of the fittest'. Ranma is now the 'fittest' of your realm. Why would I interfere with such a trivial matter?"  
  
"But.. he has, he..."  
  
"I know, killed half the beings of the universe. Your illusions of morality interfere with your perception of things. Ranma is now the ultimate predator of your realm. All predators only follow what their nature tells them. He killed as his power allowed him to. If he chooses to eliminate all beings of your universe, it is well within his right."  
  
Cologne shuddered at the frankness of the God before her, but she could not find fault with his logic from his perspective. She knew that he was only giving her the truth, and knew before hand the slim chance it would be to enlist his aid through morality. "Perhaps... perhaps you like to face Ranma as a challenge? Even before his newfound might, he was one of the greatest warriors potentially of our realm."  
  
Cologne found slight hope, when the warrior seemed to ponder it, "No."  
  
"No?" Cologne repeated with a smug tone, "You fear Ranma now? The great other-God that defeated the Universe entire in battle fears one of mortal origins?"  
  
"Humorous" the God replied, "Quite simply, I just don't feel any obligation to challenge a mere boy. Perhaps when he comes to truly know his power, I may find the appeal."  
  
Out of fustration, Cologne thought to goad him, and found the results just the same, "Then there is no hope of your assistance?"  
  
"I would say I am sorry, but..."  
  
Cologne only nodded, and closed her eyes. She opened them again to find herself once again in the basement of the Cat Cafe. There was only one hope left now. Ranma has only come into his power fairly recently. His human mind could not truly comprehend the scope of his powers. That shall be his downfall.  
____________________________________  
  
Kuno and Mousse traded blows in the knee deep snow. Wooden blade slammed against wooden blade in attempts to find their way past each other, and point out the weakness in their opponent's defense. Mousse had to admit, as much of a buffoon the kenoist was, he was rather skilled in the ways of the sword.  
  
Kuno himself had a begruding respect for the Amazon, though he was not to his own calibur in the arts of the blade, Mousse held his own fairly well. Kuno had noted the foul stench of magic in his opponent's technique, but it didn't bother him much.  
  
Kuno broke off the trade off to size up his opponent once again, and to begin another triad, "Impressive, your skills my not be comparable to mine own, but they are great of themselves."  
  
Mousse was in a crane stance, holding his wooden Tai Chi sword horizontally, "And I give my praise to you and your technique. I see you have much improved in your ability."  
  
"Hmm, though the great Kuno had needed no improvement since our last bout so long ago, I accept your praise," With that, Kuno shifted into a ground to sky blade stance with his bokken, and slowly scooted towards Mousse, who continued to stand upon one leg. Before they could continue their sparring, Ukyo came out into the yard.  
  
"Cologne's returned, and she has something to say to all of us."  
____________________________________  
  
Ranma once again looked up from where he was sitting towards the same direction Akane was looking dispassionatly towards. The pigtailed young man scowled, "They would destroy this planet if they were to fight me."  
  
He knew how desperate everyone was getting; how they felt the need to quickly eliminate the threat to the whole universe at the cost of one planet.  
  
"I'm afraid that I cannot allow that to happen." Ranma made a fist as he stared off into the eastern sky...  
____________________________________  
  
"My prince," started the first scout with the horse like mane of hair, we return with news."  
  
Herb turned to his two scouts with a tired and exasperated expression. He had been working hard to bring order to his kingdom and the whole province in general after the Great Death; the task was beginning to show its toll on his face, "Yes, what is it you have to report?"  
  
"Your proclaimed alley and fellow warrior..." Herb suddenly stopped paying attention, and stared off towards where his two runners had come from. Without warning, he walked past the two scouts and out to the balcony...  
____________________________________  
  
"We're going to have to fight Ranma by ourselves," Cologne stated gravely, "I had hoped that we could gain valuable assistance from one whose power would equal Ranma's but that was to no avail."  
  
"And where do you expect to get someone who can take on the supposed God of all there is?" Ukyo enquired negatively.  
  
"Why, from some other 'all there is," Cologne replied with mirth, "Nonetheless, Ranma at the moment is still very vunerable. He could not have adapted to his full power so soon, so it is our best chance to defeat him before he is capable of grasping everything he is capable of."  
  
"A suicide run?" Kodachi interjected.  
  
"To put it bluntly, yes," Cologne replied, noting the winces from several of the occupants, "We simply cannot just let Ranma keep such power. There's just too much here at stake."  
  
"Okay, so we have to do this quickly," Nabiki stated, "but we have no idea where... Cologne?"  
  
The old woman was looking to the west with wide, fearful eyes...  
____________________________________  
  
Lum prayed at her family's grave. She ensured that Ataru was quickly laid to rest, and as his will decreed, with as many dirty magazines and nude pictures of her as could be fitted into the family shrine that was their resting place for their ashes.  
  
She stood up and looked at the family marker with a dispassionate expression. She had grieved already, now all that was left was to make whatever did this to him pay. He father had contacted her shortly after the Invisible Slaughter; her mother and Ten had also perished. They were now en route to Earth along with the Juraian Royal Force, Galaxy Police, and several other organizations and races that were intending to join the fray. They should be here any moment, in fact...  
  
Lum was startled by the way the sky turned from frost gray to crimson, and turned to where the massive sky-blanketing beam of power was heading...  
  
Her keen eyesight allowed her to see the multitudes of explosions on one point in space.  
____________________________________  
  
Tsunami's eyes went wide. She was the only one that even saw it coming. It was much, much too much power for her to even attempt to shield anyone from instantly. It happened too quickly.  
  
The united space armada was completely overrun by the wave of energy.  
____________________________________  
  
"Uh, I'd say he's somewhere over there," Ukyo whispered, pointing towards the west.   
  
Cologne felt even more fear than she had ever known. That must have come from China itself, "QUICK, I NEED TO GET TO THE PHONE!!!" 


	11. Chapter 7

Ranma 1/2  
Ascension  
  
  
  
"NO! GET ME HERB, AND GET HIM NOW!!! STOP HIM THEN! HE MUST NOT CONFRONT RANMA!!!" Cologne yelled into the phone with a hostile tone. Ranma just alerted everyone who may have realized this was a supernatural event to his werabouts, and those who were hotheaded enough to attempt to take their vengence were not long for this world.  
  
The situation was becoming even more fustratingly dire, as Ranma now drew attention to himself for unknown reasons. Prince Herb had gone to investigate the matter personally, and his only hope was that one of his people could get to him before he attempted to battle Ranma.  
  
Individual battles with the new God would be completely fruitless, even if Ranma hadn't fully accustomed himself to infinite might. The display of raw power a few moments ago had proven that easily. Everyone in the Tendou home had been severely shaken by the phenominon of the sky suddenly being blanketed by a massive red beam of power that shot off into space. None of them knew the point of it, but from the way the air was still charged from where they were, they knew it wasn't something they wanted to be on the recieving end of. None of them knew of the hundreds of vessels carrying thousands of sentient beings that it had completely enveloped, snuffing out lives before they could even realize they no longer existed on this plane of mortality.  
  
Ukyo was curled up in a corner; the sight they had just seen had shaken her far more than the others had. She knew that was Ranma's doing, as everyone else had realized, and she knew that he would not hesitate to use that might against anyone who stood in his way. He already killed his own family out of some construed feeling of honor; he honestly felt he was doing them a favor by killing them in person than letting them fall victim to the Great Culling. Ranma loved his mother to death, and everyone who had met Godai had instantly fell in love with the young babe. If he killed them without restraint, he would easily turn do the same to her.  
  
Ukyo had no allusions to how Ranma had felt about her anymore; three years thinking had a tendency to clarify things. But it still hurt to think that her once fiancee and best friend would almost casually strip her from life if she were to stand against him. Ukyo had decided, though, that she owed it to her past friend to take him down, no matter the cost.  
  
Mousse continued to look into the sky with an incredulous expression. There was just no way they would be able to overcome that. Ranma was so far beyond them now that harboring any notions of victory was in itself a futile endeavor. With the last display of power, Ranma had effectively defeated them before the true battle had even begun.  
  
Mint and Lime remained stoic. Their concerns for their leader did not show in their expressions, but inside they were each feeling the turmoil of not being there when he would need them the most. It had crossed their minds that it would still be a moot point, and he would be just as dead then as he was now; only difference is they would have to die later than him.  
  
The two Kuno siblings knew the least of what was going on, but whatever they saw was indeed more powerful than anything they could comprehend. Even Tatewake's mentally addled mind did not relish having to battle whatever it was that cut the sky to bleed.   
  
"Brother... Tate.." Kodachi looked to her brother with intense worry. He nodded in reply, took her hand into his, and gave it a light squeeze.  
  
Ryoga didn't feel anything, as the same for Nabiki. There wasn't anything more they could lose, and it is said that a man who has lost everything fears nothing. The recent events were just as important to them as each snowflake that had fallen to the ground earlier.  
  
Shampoo hid from the others so that she could grieve for the loss of one she had loved so much, for the second time. She was pretty sure that beam was ment to destroy something, and pitied whoever was the victim of it. And as Ranma had used severe overkill for such a matter, he was too far gone to even petition for penance for his actions. Any apologies she had heard from him after his return would be completely hollow to her.  
  
Cologne despaired just as much as the others. She herself knew the full affect the energy beam would have. The air had already warmed up seven degrees from its passing, which would throw the world weather patterns amok. She could very well hear the people out on the streets suddenly seeking forgiveness from whatever god or gods they have offended and were to recieve the wrath of. As the planet would begin to destroy itself, its people would willingly give into their fears, and be their own ends before Earth could do it for them. If anything were to be put right, they would have to convince Ranma to do so...  
  
They would have better chance robbing a God of his might...  
  
The elderly woman suddenly perked as if she just had a sudden revelation, and redoubled her shouting and cursing over the phone in order to get in contact with Herb or anyone in remote command. She just about completely lost her composure when the phone hung up, but blinked when it rang again.  
___________________________________  
  
Herb recognized the former Matriarch's voice over the cell phone, "Elder Cologne of the Amazon Tribe, you wished to speak with me?" He nodded, and then replied, "Well, I am currently away from my domain, and this number apparently does not have call waiting, so... Oh, I'm on my cell phone, I use my own power to boost the signal. It's remarkably... that is not a concern at the moment," Herb turned to Ranma, who was sitting on a rock eating a fruit, "He won't let anyone close to him anyhow. It does not look like we have much choice but to wait for you, really, that is if you have any idea on how to get past the barrier he has imposed."  
___________________________________  
  
Cologne replied in thanks for his prompt response, and hung up the phone. Ranma was waiting for them. He wanted confrontation with his old family and friends. It still wasn't in his nature to gloat, so she was not sure what reason he would have for doing so.  
  
"Everyone," Cologne shouted, "it is of dire importance that we get to China as fast as possible. Does anyone have a mode of transportation that would allow us to do so?" All eyes fell on the Kunos.  
___________________________________  
  
The pale blue sphere of light slowly settled to the ground of the Mizaki shrine, and then dissappated to reveal an unsatched Tsunami, Tenchi, Yosho, Washu, Ryoko, Mihoshi, and Kiyone. She had acted quickly, and saved those she knew to. Unfortunately, doe to her haste, she could only rescue a handful of people, and due to Sasami's influence over her conciousness, she only thought to save those she knew closest.  
  
Once they were firmly settled onto the ground, Tsunami collapsed to her knees in tears for those she had left behind. Yosho blinked, and noted where they were. He had witnessed the sudden flash of red that suddenly enveloped them like the sun's rays, but until now he didn't know what it was.  
  
"Just what the HELL was that?!?" Shouted Ryoko. Unlike her companions, she had the accellerated vision to witness the beam just totally overtake them.  
  
"They're... they're all dead..." Tsunami whispered with a wide and tear soaked expression.  
  
"Dead? What happened?" Tenchi asked, no less confused by everyone else.  
  
"Some sort of weapon... it destroyed every one of the ships that had arrived with ours," Washu said somberly, having deduced what happened.  
  
"Every..." Yosho whispered himself, "But THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!!! There is nothing on Earth that could even begin to have the capacity to do that, much less in one mass blow."  
  
"I don't think it was of Earthen origin," Washu commented, "I think that was the murderer we were looking for in the first place."  
  
"Wait, you mean to tell me that whatever it was managed to destroy over a dozen full fleets worth of battle ships like it was NOTHING?" Ryoko shouted incredulously. Tenchi paled at the realization. It wasn't just the horridness of the act, but the fact that he lead them all to their deaths.  
  
Ryo-oki noted the young man starting to sway, and alerted Ryoko to catch him before he hit the ground. Kiyone herself looked completely and utterly shellshocked, as Mihoshi still had a cold air of professionalism about her.  
  
"Do you know where it came from?" Mihoshi asked, startling everyone else by her calmly relayed question.  
  
"Er... yes..." Washu called her subspace computer to the fore, and entered in a few calculations, "From the ion charge in the air, I would predict that the blast came from somewhere within the deep of China. Here we are, an area known as the Quangxi Province of China, that's where it originated."  
  
"Tsunami, can you get us there to investigate whatever it is?" Mishoshi's sudden grasp of control over the situation surprised everyone again, and within moments, they were on their way.  
___________________________________  
  
On one of the Japanese western ports...  
  
"Hey..."  
  
The red headed swordman turned to look at whoever hailed him. The stalky black man with round rim glasses stared into the yellow hued and intense eyes of the apparent Samurai in faded red, and fought down the urge to shiver, "Are you offering me passage across the sea?"  
  
It was the question of the day, as many were trying to find a way to China, many powerful beings, "Aye, we have enough room, and we all know that this is going to be something that we'll need all the help we can get."  
  
The reborn Hikokiri Battusai nodded, and walked up the plank onto the deck of what appeared to be a submerine of sorts. He would have been grateful for the ride, but the only emotion left in his heart was those that comprised the need for revenge. Promises be damned, Kenshin would kill the one who cowardly struck Kaori low from the distance. His left hand gripped the sheath that carried the Kamiya Honor blade that had been secretly hidden for generations within it. Both of them felt the need to spill blood.  
  
Behind him approached an almost ghost like entity; like a marionette blazing as bright as the sun itself alit with the Thunder god's full wrath. The Oni princess looked towards the black man with dead eyes, making him not relish what he had to request.  
  
"Um, would you be able to tone down the fireworks? This is a highly sensitive vessel, after all," He asked, pointing to the Nautilus.  
  
The Oni Princess looked down at her hands with detached observation, "I... cannot control it anymore." The crewmember of the Nautilis nodded, and attempted to think of a tactful and non-life forfeiting way to ask her if she could possibly ask another ship for passage.  
  
In the background, ships continued to fill like armies planning to invade. 


	12. Chapter 8

Ranma 1/2  
Ascension  
  
  
  
"Is it real? What I feel, Could it be?  
You and me?  
Till the end of time.  
World apart, take my hand, hold it tight,  
It's true love.  
You know I gotta be..."  
  
"I Gotta Be" by Jagged Edge  
______________________________________  
  
Ranma glanced towards the the edge of his self-erected barrier that was being hammered upon by several seemingly powerful beings. He sighed softly to himself, knowing that they would be as tenatious as he would be in order to get in. Revenge made one forgo any rationale when it came to such things. He held control over everything, and though he knew they would not know that, he hoped they would wise up soon, he was starting to get a headache.  
  
He looked towards Akane, who was dressed in a black kimono that sucked in all light that hit it like a black hole, with a white obi... or was that blood red, it was hard to tell the by the nature of it, and sitting seiza on the grass with her eyes closed. He idly wondered what she was thinking, and immidiately chided himself. She didn't *think* per say, she was well beyond such a minute concept, which brought him to the reason he was doing all this.  
  
Ranma finished his pear, and tossed the core with a back handed motion towards the barrier. It effortlessly passed through the invisible field, and landed on the ground outside. It rapidly decomposed, and the seeds settled into the ground quickly. Within seconds, a sprout grew, then it was a sapling. Moments later, a fully blooming tree with lush pears dangling from its branches stood in the place the fruit core landed. In severe agitation, the fire entity known as Pyron turned his attentions from breaching the field, to reducing the newborn tree to cinders.  
  
Ranma looked towards the flame being with irritation, and then shrugged. If they didn't want to accept his gift, he was not going to let it bother him... the jerks. Ranma sighed, they had a right to be angry with him, and he shouldn't fault them for that.  
  
"BASTARD! COME OUT AND FACE US!!!" shouted the angry looking fighter wearing some sort of blue battle armor with white shoulder pads. Ranma fought the urge to tell the guy how rediculous his blond hair looked the way it dangled to his ankles, but thought it best not to provoke them further. Ranma knew how powerful many of them were outside, and skewered their power levels while making them think that they were always only of that ability. It would not due to have one of them get fustrated beyond reason, and nuke the whole planet. Pointless deaths would only serve to make Ranma an angry God.  
  
He himself admittadly was getting bored. Him and Akane had been in the barrier for three days now, waiting for those he felt were due the largest cracks at him to arrive. It should be no less than another day, depending on how they decided to travel. Of course, it would be like them to take their time with this... the jerks.  
  
Yosho glared intensely at Ranma and shouted to the others who had yet to give up on trying to breach the energy field, "You may as well cease, he won't let us in unless he wants to."  
  
"What is he?" a man with talons of a bird of prey, and bat wings that potruded from his demonic head growled, as he looked on, "They both look human, but to be able to control the power he seems to..."  
  
"There is nothing human about him," a girl with a mane of pink with a rapier and two rose embroidered rings on one hand stated as she glared with blue eyes bearing hate, "Nothing with a shred of humanity could do what he has done."  
  
"Washu, have you found a way to open that barrier?" Mihoshi asked, sitting down on a nearby rock with Kiyone leaning with her back against her.  
  
"I can't even figure out what it is!" Washu replied with strain in her voice, "According to all my instrumentation, it's not even *there*!"  
  
"That is puzzling," Yosho commented, "could it be some sort of hypnotic suggestion made for us to believe that we are being held at bay?"  
  
"No, if that were the case, the energy backlashes many were suffering would not have happened," Kiyone deduced.  
  
"Then he sits there just to toy with us?" Leona Heidern asked without much heat.  
  
"He's waiting for something," Yosho replied, "it's just not us, apparently. Everyone here may have just been an 'unexpected' result of his actions." Yosho waved to the army behind him. Many of them had already attempted to breech the barrier, and gave up shortly. Even burrowing under it yeilded no results. A few considered leaving, but their sense of duty or need for revenge was much stronger than their fustration. For the time being, they chose to camp with the supplies they brought with them, or what was supplied by the gracious Musk. It was apparent that they were under orders to keep as many as they could in the area, and also act as the keepers of the peace. Several fights had already broken out, with the tension level so high. The must, Amazons, or Pheonix people proved inneffective in quite a few of these to quell hostilities, but many of the more powerful and more responsible that were present were found very helpful. But it was a given that if something were not to happen soon...  
__________________________________  
  
"Three minutes until arrival point," one of the crewmembers of the large helicopter shouted to the passengers. Cologne nodded in affirmation, and looked towards everyone else.  
  
"Now, you all understand what we are to do, correct?" Almost in unison, everyone nodded.  
  
"Good, because this plan must not fail if we have any hope. It is a slim chance as it is." Cologne fiddled with the dual colored gem in her pocket that was to be their trump card. It was something she would have been hesitant to use at any time, but time now proved the act of prudence was too far gone a luxury.  
  
She looked down to the masses up ahead; they would be the spoilers of this battle, hopefully they could keep Ranma on his toes, and not realize the plans being set in motion that would hopefully lead to his downfall.  
  
"Honored Elder," Herb approached Cologne before continuing, "That jewel you had me retrieve, what purpose does it serve?"  
  
"That, I cannot tell you. If I were, it would lead to a greater chance of Ranma discovering its purpose, and that would bring everything to..."  
  
"Over drop point..." interrupted a crewmember.  
__________________________________  
  
Ranma looked up, to the humorous sight of the ancient woman descending on a rope from a large helicraft. She landed in front of Ranma, uninhibited by the barrier that kept all others at bay. The rest of the occupants that were to be staying descended into the crowds, searching for those they deemed were responsible, powerful, and hopefully trustworthy enough to help them with what they planned on doing.  
  
"Ranma," Cologne greated evenly.  
  
"Hello Cologne," Ranma replied, standing from his seat. Akane opened her eyes and looked towards the old woman, a ghost of a smile crossed her face in greeting.  
  
"You were waiting for us," Cologne started, looking directly into Ranma's eyes.  
  
"Yes, I was."  
  
"Why?"  
  
Ranma seemed to ponder how he was going to put things, "Well, I figured you would be mad and all."  
  
"I see your gift for understatement hasn't been lost in your ascension," Cologne almost deadpanned.  
  
Ranma gave a slight chuckle, "You want the rest of the answers..."  
  
"They would be helpful."  
  
Ranma motioned to Akane, who stood up and approached the other two, "You already know Akane..."  
  
Cologne glared at the girl, "This creature is not Akane."  
  
Ranma's smirk got bigger, and turned to Akane, "See? I told you she'd figure it out." Akane just nodded impassively towards Ranma. At the emotionless response, Ranma sighed, and turned back to the old woman, "This is why I have done all of this."  
  
"Explain."  
  
"You see, this is Akane, or rather, what had become Akane, what was born as Akane." Cologne held her tongue at the nonsensical start of his explanation. Ranma continued, "You know how it is about mortals and all getting the attention of the Gods? They fall in love with a mortal soul or something like that, interfering in their lives whenever they are once again in the realm of the living? Well, Akane here apparently had found intrest in me."  
  
"She's some sort of Deity?" Cologne enquired.  
  
"No, far more than that, something even the deities you know can succomb to. She is a part of what makes the universe tick, and truthfully, she is more, much more than we can comprehend, or at least you can." Ranma said the last part with a slight smirk.  
  
"Then what is she?"  
  
"She is a part of eternity that took notice of me. She dared find intrest in a mortal soul, and considered what it would be like to intermingle with one on an intimate basis. So, she found a way to become mortal through an avatar, if you will, and had it fated for us to meet."  
  
Ranma's expression grew somber, "I've seen what my past lives have been like, I was lonely through out them all. There was not one life that I found contention in. This was the first existance that I had where I actually found love." He smirked again, "I guess my ego couldn't be content with anything less than Death itself."  
  
"Death? What do you..." Cologne paused, and slowly turned a wide eyed stare towards Akane, who was now smirking herself.  
  
"No..." Cologne took a step back, this really did cause a problem with their well made plans.  
  
"Kind of Ironic that Saffron 'killed' the Grim Reaper himself... er, herself," Ranma blushed at having to correct himself, "And with her mortal demise, she returned back to the way she once was. She remembered all her mortal experiences, but unfortunately could not recover the sense of emotions. It was something inherit in her nature, I guess, and it was something she wanted back."  
  
"I presume this was about when you orchestrated your own demise," Cologne stated.  
  
"You mean committed suicide, do not try to cleverly word it, I know what you are trying to do." Ranma warned, "I wanted to die, without her, I felt all those millenia of loneliness slam upon me at once. Such a feeling you could not possibly comprehend. There are no Hells in existance that could match what I went through. You think I went insane because of Akane's death? I went insane from the lack of her presence."  
  
"But why this? Why kill trillions for Death itself?" Cologne asked, "Is this some sort of sick gift to her? Were you a neilist that we should have put down before you were even birthed?"  
  
"When I was reunited with Akane, I thought I would be happy again," Ranma started again, ignoring the emotion that was creeping into Cologne's voice, "She responded to me, but without emotion, I was just as lonely as before my death. I WOULD not suffer eternity with my love, and without her love. Akane told me that it was a law of the universe, something that was brought on by the need for balance. Death is to be remorseless by its nature, and as long as it proceeds at its standard pace, it would remain so. But... if death were to have the scales tipped tremendously in her favor, balance would have to be imposed. Death the aspect would be brought closer to what you consider godhood, instead of a fundamental force. Meaning she would be that much closer to mortality, and therefore, have the ability to love me back."  
  
"Ranma, is she the one who told you such rubbish?" Cologne gave a look of distain towards Akane, "Listen, she's using you for her own ends. Return everything as it was, nobody even has to remember all this. You can atone for your mistakes. It is well within your power."  
  
Ranma shook his head, "No, I'm afraid I can't do that."  
  
"Can't? Or won't?"  
  
"Does it matter?"  
  
"Then why didn't you just grant her emotions with your newfound might?"  
  
"And send the universe into chaos by doing so? There's a reason far beyond your comprehension as to why I cannot do that. The universe is a delicate thing, and to rearranged such on a mass scale is not a smart thing to do."  
  
"Then, we will fight you, even if it is nothing but to our deaths."  
  
"I owe you at least a... vent, and I shall be fair," Ranma replied, gaining a raised eyebrow from both Cologne and Akane.  
  
"And how do you intend to do that? You *are* the ruler of all creation. I'm afraid we are just leading ourselve to slaughter for a ritious cause that is far beyond futile. And you even admit you are in the wrong."  
  
"I... how do you figure?" Ranma asked, curiously.  
  
"You know you do not deserve this power for your actions, yet you insist on flaunting it before us like a tyrant. I had thought one I came to love as my own blood would be better than that."   
  
Ranma, as Cologne had hoped, became indignant, "You know I'll keep my word on this, you old Ghoul!"  
  
Cologne ignored the comment, too much was at stake now for her to show irritation, "And how do you intend to do that?"  
  
"Step out of the barrier," Ranma commanded. Cologne nodded, and backed up until she found herself against an old man with glasses and a powerful blue haired woman who were looking towards her curiously. Behind them, Ukyo stood.  
  
"LISTEN UP!" Ranma shouted; everyone had heard him speak somehow, "YOU WILL NOT BE FACING YOUR GOD..." Ranma held his fist up, and the ring on his finger flashed. Those that were pressing against the barrier fell forward.   
  
"YOU WILL FACE RANMA SAOTOME OF THE ANYTHING GOES SCHOOL OF MARTIAL ARTS!" He shouted with his own voice.  
  
And all Hell broke loose. 


	13. Chapter... 9?

Ranma 1/2  
Ascension  
  
  
  
  
  
Ukyo tightened her back, and curled up into a tight ball, as she slammed into the tree. She heard Konatsu cry out to her in concern, but she was alright. She had managed to do her part. If Cologne was right, they would win this day.  
  
  
Everyone sheilded their eyes from the brilliant light that radiated from the center where the two combatants fought for dominance over Godhood. The outcome was a thin chance at best, but it was their only one. The bodies of friends, allies, and even enemies were ignored, as everyone held their breath . White and red fought for dominance, each occationally gaining the advantage over the other. In a few short but eternal moments, white consumed all of the red.  
  
"Did... did we?" The regal woman with the blue hair and crystal red eyes asked with hope.  
  
"R-Ra-Ranma..." The thing claiming to be Akane breathed with her own concern.  
  
"Even a heart cannot triumph, if it is fighting against what it exists for..."  
  
"N-no...." Cologne collapsed to the ground, as they watched the white light die down, with the young man standing victorious over his final opponent.  
  
Ranma looked down at Cologne in sympathy, "You've lost, that was your final attack, and I beat it." his eyes then became cold, as he turned to look at the standing, the wounded, and the deceased, "You've lost, and because you presumed you could stand against your own God..."  
  
Ranma turned away, and everyone, but Ukyo, Akane, and Cologne had vanished.  
  
"Where... what did you do with all of them?" Ukyo asked, scared and at Ranma's mercy.  
  
"They're being punished," Ranma's voice was arctic and callous, like a mighty tyrant who upholds his laws to the utmost letter.  
  
"Punished?"  
  
Ranma turned towards Ukyo, and grinned sinisterly, "Don't worry about it." He turned towards the creature he called Akane, and kissed her deeply, "Let this battle mark the end of my ascension. Let all who still believe they can stand against me, know this; I am far beyond merely 'the greatest', I am surpreme. I AM THAT WHICH RULES ALL!!!!"  
  
Cologne, though with no hope in her eyes, still stared at Ranma defiantly, "And why do you spare us, tyrant? Do you wish an audience before you completely wipe out all life in this universe?"  
  
Ranma chuckled, "Kill everyone?" He threw a glance back towards Akane, who seemed barely able to hold her own laughter back, "Why, that would be extremely unproductive. No, first... I need an enforcer. The first of my angels to uphold my word. After all, God is much too busy to handle such trivial things as troubling himself with lessors..."  
  
"I will never willingly submit to you... Son-in-law!" The old woman seemed to take some solice in her addressment of Ranma.  
  
Ranma merely shrugged, not giving the woman the satisfaction, "I know you wouldn't. Now kneel before me."  
  
The young woman with deep violet hair bowed to one knee before Ranma, "Forgive my impertenance."  
  
"It is forgiven," Ranma replied, non-chilantly, "Now, you have tasks which need to be taken care of, but feel free to take your time." Cologne nodded, and vanished.  
  
Ukyo looked towards Ranma with fear, and loathing, "You're insane!" She was right, too. The second time he ignited his godhood for that final battle overloaded his mind.  
  
"I am far beyond such meager concepts such as sanity, right, wrong," Ranma replied with a steely tone that reverberated throught the world it seemed, "Not that it matters. You... are my scribe..."  
  
"Your what?" Ukyo jumped, as she felt her hands full of a leather bound book of infinite pages, and a quill filled with an infinite amount of ink.  
  
"I spared you because you had... meant something to me, and Akane wished it," Ranma continued, not yet answering her question.  
  
Akane walked towards Ukyo, and kneeled before the girl. Ukyo did not resist, as Akane pulled the girl's head towards her lips, and kissed her on the forehead."  
  
"She has marked you with her seal of eternity. She will not take you, no matter how you beg," Ranma seemed amused at the notion, "You, I charge with the creation of my Bible. My word must be documented.  
  
"Ranma, you..." Ukyo started to plead. Ranma's glare cut her off.  
  
"Ranma?" God replied in question, "God no longer needs such a name, or any other..."  
  
The Ascension; Book One  
__________________________________________  
  
Disapprobation; Book Four, exerpt 263  
  
  
God's word has been spread throught the universe by his Angels Cologne, Ranko, Susano-o, Saffron, and Anansi. The Herasy Angel was quickly brought down before more damage could be done. It was not damage that was irrepreable, for our God is invincible. He gave free will, not because he thinks we deserve it, but because he finds it something that he should not take away; regardless of those who side against his graciousness.  
  
There are no longer wars under his divinity, for God tolerates no violence to his subject's fellows. Order is prime under him, and our Lord accepts no other. For this, we should praise him, and gladly accept him as our master.  
__________________________________________  
  
Manifestation; Book 1, exerpt 79  
  
"And let no manner of being step before my might again, because your pettiness cannot overcome me," our Lord said; his voice trembled, and all in the Universe heard without pause. The outside one that chose to face him lay before him, broken. It was an anti-God, that saught our own Lord for sport. Our Lord found no humor in the challenge, for he was above such trivialness.   
  
"The Anti-God's realm is left unattended. This cannot be allowed," our Lord proclaimed, and them claimed for himself the bounty of his recent battle, leaving the Anti-God his servant.  
__________________________________________  
  
The Age of Dark Fall; Book 1, exert 42  
  
Our Lord is angry. His love has denied him, for mistress feels that our Lord has abandoned her. Our Lord showed his mighty temper to all, and in great fear, his subject saught to appease him and his mistress. Sacrifices became greatly known, and encouraged by Our Lord's subjects. Many encouraged, but many pleaded opposition. Great wars broke among our Lord's subjects, and our Lord quickly quelled them.  
  
"It appears my subjects have forgotten my decrees," our Lord stated, "For this, my punishment shall be quick, and ritious..."  
__________________________________________  
  
Ukyo stood, observing the scene as it has been her task to watch, and document all of signifigance for eons. Her dead eyes watched, as the being once known as Ranma approached the one Ukyo once knew as Akane. He wished to let her know how much she meant to him, and how important it was for her to continue to be with him.  
  
"Akane..." Ranma started in an almost quiet, meek voice, so unlike her Lord, and more like the boy he once was, "I could never forget my love for you. I had suffered pain that none but Herb should suffer when I hadn't known you. I cannot bare to feel it once again without great consequences..."  
  
Ukyo's right eyebrow raised at the mention of the Heresy Angel; her Lord had not spoken of him since sometime after his ascension. Death turned to him, with an expressionless face. Though no emotions could be fathomed from her facade, her mood was quite known.  
  
"Akane! What is it you want of me? More death? Another lot in the way of things?" Ranma asked, urgently, "Please, just... just tell me what it is you want!"  
  
Akane turned away from Ranma, and looked out into the infinite space. After a mote of eternity, she turned back to him with a pleading expression.  
  
Ranma's own expression grew stern, "I.. I cannot do that, Akane. To do so would bring grave harm to them."  
  
"Ranma..." Akane started, walking towards her love, and touching him softly on his face, "It isn't your task to keep them all safe, they should walk their own path..."  
  
"They cannot, because they are flawed," Ranma replied, "and if I were to make them perfect, they would lose their identities and free will."  
  
"Do not concern yourself with that, my love," Akane replied, walking back from him slowly, "I have known the beings of the universe for far longer than you have..."  
  
"By this time, the time difference is irrelevant," Ranma replied tersely.  
  
"But you also still look at things from a narrow perspective. Where as I am a part of the way of things, you govern over it all. I fear that you are indeed the tyrant all have announced you as."  
  
"And why is it you care?" Ranma asked with an angry but curious lilt.  
  
"Because, you threaten to destroy more than you intend to salvage. This is my Universe, Ranma, I exist in it. I do not wish for it to be lost because of your own arrogance."  
  
"I AM NOT ARROGANT! I AM GOD!" Ranma shouted, earning a disgusted expression from Akane.  
  
"That you are, my Lord..." Death replied, her expression becoming cold.  
  
The addressing was not lost on Ranma, "A-Akane... I... I didn't mean..."  
  
Death turned away again, "If you have no further need of me, my Lord..." Ukyo noted the tremble in God, and pondered what it meant, Akane answered for her.  
  
"RANMA!!!! DON'T!!!!"  
  
And all was ended.  
__________________________________________  
  
"Ukyo, UKYO!"  
  
The chef snapped her head at the call, and ran in her planned path that would intercept Ryouga, and earn her the jewel. Ranma was left throughly confused, and with several converging on him, one of them may get through.  
  
"Do not fail us, Ukyo," Cologne mumbled.  
  
Ukyo reached out, and thrust the jewel against Ranma's chest, just as he was turning around...  
__________________________________________  
  
Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream. Merrilly, merrilly, merrilly, merrilly, life is but a dream...  
  
MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAA 


	14. True Chapter 9

Ranma 1/2  
Ascension  
  
  
Hundreds stood, and looked upon the crushed buildings and other carnage of the eastern shores of Japan. Fortunately there was a great deal of warning before the massive wall of water had hit, but its force leveled what its bulk came in contact with. Much of Eastern Tokyo was no more.  
  
It was much more fortunate than Hawaii had made out, as it was completely swallowed up by raging waters and furious storms.  
  
Children that didn't feel the weight of the situation in San Diego froliced in the three inch snow.  
  
Water levels worldwide had begun to rise at least an average of seven inches, what with the temperature of the polar ice caps dropping dramatically.  
  
Scientists predicted that the planet would slow down in its rotation by about a millianth of a second due to the dramatic altercations of the weather that was becoming a weather pattern that El Nino could never even compare to. They also worried that the re-emergance of 'supercanes' would not be too far in the horizon.  
  
Tremors from the teutonic plates of the Ring of Fire in the Pacific were becoming more pronounced due to the sudden ecological changes forced upon it by the sudden appearance of an energy beam three days ago. It's passing heated up the air in a general area a lot faster than the earth could truly handle without the already apparent traumatic effects. People were leaving the western coast of the US and Canada for fear of 'the Big One'. Hawaii was no more than slag and ghosts.  
  
Many cities were being declared under martial law by the currently reigning President of the United States, the former Secretary of State. People, not just in the US but the world over, were becoming savage and primal, fighting for control of their hostile enviorment and climbing over whoever was in their way for their right to survive.  
  
God was punishing the world for their sins, casting all there was into a Hell that none could escape but through death. The ones that had been taken scant days ago were the lucky ones...  
  
For the Apocolypse was here.  
___________________________________________  
  
"LISTEN UP!" Ranma shouted; everyone had heard him speak somehow, "YOU WILL NOT BE FACING YOUR GOD..." Ranma held his fist up, and the ring on his finger flashed. Those that were pressing against the barrier fell forward.   
  
"YOU WILL FACE RANMA SAOTOME OF THE ANYTHING GOES SCHOOL OF MARTIAL ARTS!" He shouted with his own voice. Cologne held back the sigh of immense relief she felt, it had worked.  
  
The legions of fighters suddenly rushed at Ranma, converging to subdue, and possibly more, to the mad God. Tenchi started towards the fray, wanting his own piece of revenge, but found a staff blocking his way.  
  
"HEY! LEMME GO!" The young man shouted, right before a streaking beam of intense energy potruded from the center of the pile, from Ranma.  
  
"COLOGNE! HE'S STILL USING HIS POWERS!" Ukyo shouted in despair. Cologne gravely shook her head.  
  
"No, he is keeping his word, child."  
  
"You mean to tell me that young man was even this powerful before gaining Godhood?" Yosho stated in terrified awe.  
  
"No," Cologne replied, "But... you would do well to realize that once the taint of the secrets of infinite might has touched you, it is difficult to recend."  
  
"Hmm, meaning, he still has the knowlege of manipulating power from when he was using his greater powers," Yosho interpreted.  
  
"That is correct," the elderly woman turned towards those who had been patient enough to and smart enough to follow whatever the old woman's plan was, "Now, I am sure that the basics of the design was given to you of my plan, now you must know the details to carry it out..."  
  
Ranma cleared some breathing room for himself with his opening volley. He knew they weren't expecting such ability from a mere 'boy'; they would do well to remember that this boy was good enough to gain ultimate Godhood in the first place. Ranma crouched down, and leapt through the opening his perfect Mouku Takabisha left for him, and spared a glance towards Akane. A few straglers were attempting to face death, but in the end, she would always succeed. Death defended herself with an elegent katana, using it with skills that no mortal had ever encountered.  
  
Ranma turned and sidestepped a fist encrusted completely with ice, and then ducked a follow up hook from a fist engulfed in flame. Ranma shoved his hand onto the blue and red man's chest, and forcably reversed the energies from fire to ice, ice to fire. Gill was left writhing on the ground, as Ranma found himself surrounded from all sides by apparently compotent swordweilders. A parry here, an evade there, a counter attack every so often left him unharmed, as they spent more time in each others way than in his. Above Ranma, a floating golem-like man enclothed in white that matched his hair and made his blue-gray skin stand out was building his chant to cresendo. At it's finality, he gave a shout, "RA-TILT!!!!"  
  
Ranma quickly turned to the shout, while kicking away a raven haired swordsman who rivaled Kuno in the use of the bokken. Akane suddenly appeared above Ranma, holding her sword in the fore. It glowed with pristine white magic, before she slashed in the air back towards Zelgadis. His shock hindered his ability to evade his magic spell returned as a projectile.  
  
Ranma dodged the Burn Knuckle, and uppercut the Blond fighter who saught to overpower him with hyper blue energy. Another blond intercepted him in the air, tossed Terry Bogard to the side, and dropped straight down feet first, with his body incrested in roaring golden energy. Ranma leapt back from the impact, as Andy's Dragon Bullet was charged with enough energy to create an impact crater twelve meters wide, and rumble the ground of the whole area.  
  
Before Ranma could even land, he was slammed out of the air by a red headed girl who roared like an enraged cat. Ranma's return roar was that of a lion, as he utilized the Catfist to subdue his attacker. Nuku Nuku layed, unmoving, as Ranma pulled his clawed hand from the large hole he created in her; still holding wires and bits of jagged metal.  
  
Ranma felt his muscles lock up, as the air began to reak of ozone. Lum calmly floated up, her own out of control powers keeping most others at bay with the intense generation of electricity.  
  
"NOW'S OUR CHANCE!!!" Terry shouted, "OVERSHIFT..." The blond's shout brought forth many of the army that had been standing back, awaiting an opening that wouldn't be interfered with, and at once, they all rushed in. Ranma looked into Lum's dead eyes, and remembered how she felt now. Lum's expression became one of slightly surprised, as her electrity expanded, and engulfed all who were attempting to attack. Once they were subdued, he reversed polarity of Lum's attack.  
  
When Lum dropped, having lost her own powers, Ranma ripped into the staggered fighters that had come towards him, becoming a blinding streak in his retaliation.  
  
"BLASHEMOUS DEMON! LET THE SOLDIERS OF THE TRUE GOD FINISH YOU!" Ranma moved to the side from the sword slash of what appeared to be a nun. She spun with the blade aimed at his stomach, but he cleanly leaped over it and threw a kick at her face. The Warrior Nun brought her robotic forearm up to guard, and Ranma's foot impacted with the ruby that was embedded in it.  
  
Before Ranma could once again fully land, he felt a second taint of magic in the air. He twisted out of the air of the small magic blast, and ended up landing on his side; a very prone position. The Magic Priests above rained down blasts, which Ranma narrowly evaded, while he was forced to parry the bokkens of Kuno and Mokoto Aoyama, with the inclusion of Utena's rapier, two other Warrior Nun's sword and halberd, and clawswipes of the Devilman. With careful precision, Ranma maneuvered so that he was only defending against certain attacks at once, while the others would interrupt one another's blows. Ranma willed that he would not become overwhelmed, regardless; though the man with the red hair and yellow cold eyes that was standing in a battoujitsu stance, waiting unnerved the pigtailed God.  
  
The Blasts from the air suddenly ceased, and the bodies of the Magic Priests fell to the ground, most likely not surviving the height of the fall. Ranma knew Akane was elsewhere working against her. So who...?  
  
"FINAL FLASH!!"  
  
A blinding light bared straight down upon Ranma, and anyone who was caught in a twenty or so meter circumfrence with Ranma. The attack at it's full power would have ripped the Earth apart, fortunatly due to Ranma's foresight, it only left a molten pit where it landed.  
  
Cologne blinked, feeling the heat even from where she was, "I... I guess the battle is over..."  
  
"Feh, and I was told to wait for those idiots to clear?" Vegita scoffed, and wiped his mouth in disgust, "Far be it from me to play the part of exterminater, but..."  
  
"You missed," Ranma's voice calmly sounded from the pit.  
  
"WHAT? IT CANNOT BE!" Vegita saw through the thinning smoke, towards the sight of the young man, standing on an untouched isle in the middle of the recently created lava pit. Ranma plunged his hand into the molten rock, and pulled out a pinch of it between his fingers. He flaired his cold aura on it, instantly turning it to a tiny sliver of glass, and with barely a motion, flicked it towards Vegita, right into his left eye.  
_____________________________  
  
Minako clutched the Silver Imperium Crystal in her hands tightly. It was all she had left of her friend and ally, Usagi Tsukino aka Sailor Moon. Right now, she was doing something she hadn't done in a very long time.  
  
Minako was praying.  
  
She was praying for diliverance, for the power to combat this evil. This crystal, while not completely intelligent, knew enough that its owner had been killed. Due to the strange nature of the link between the royal family line and the crystal itself, it was dying as well. The crystal understood that the girl clutching it wanted to get revenge for whoever had killed the last in the line of its mistressess.  
  
It granted her the power she desired.  
  
Without any fancy poses, without a transformation sequence, without sparkling lights, Minako unleashed the attack. The only warning Ranma had were three whispered words.  
  
"Heart's. Love. Annihilation."  
  
A huge heart-shaped blast of yellow energy shot from Minako's outstreatched hands and hit Ranma from behind, creating an enourmous explotion. As the dust cleared, the area where Ranma Saotome had once stood was devoid of anything except a rather large crater that was rapidly filling with hot lava.  
  
Minako, Ami, and Hotaru sank to their knees in relief. They had finally destroyed the evil.  
  
"GIRL! DO NOT BE FOOLED..." an old voice shouted, but was ignored.  
  
Minako looked down at the crystal in her hands. It had done its job well. She clasped the crystal in front of her as if she were praying, in both her hands. She closed her eyes, crying with silent joy.  
  
Minako felt a pair of hands softly enclosing hers. She looked up with tears in her eyes to the most horrifying sight she had ever seen.  
  
Ranma Saotome.  
  
Before Minako could let out a scream, Ranma crushed both her hands and the crystal using his unforgiving strength. The pain from the injury and the shock of having both her hands crushed at once caused Minako to sink into blissful unconciousness.  
  
Ami and Hotaru staggered to their feet. Ranma had appeared out of no where. One second they were sure the evil had been destroyed, and the next Minako's hands were reduced to a bloody pulp of blood, bone, and muscle.  
  
A shout of "SHINE AQUA-" was interrupted by a fist in Ami's stomach, expelling the air from her. Ranma allowed the girl to collapse the ground, clutching her stomach.  
  
Hotaru let the Silence Glaive slip from her nervless fingers as she sank once more to her knees. All of her friends, all of her family, had been destroyed by this madman. The grief and horror welled up in her until she burst into tears.  
  
Ranma walked over to the crying girl. He slowly bent over and picked up the Silence Glaive. Hotaru looked wordlessly at him as he poised over her like some avenging angel, glaive held high. He brought it down swiftly. With a heavy crash, the flat of the blade impacted the side of Hotaru, shattering the blade. Ranma tossed the weapon aside carelessly, and left Hotaru trembling and staring mutely at the broken blade of the glaive. "You girls shouldn't be in this fight," Ranma replied with an akwardly concerned voice, before looking around for his next opponents.  
  
As Ranma turned his back upon the Sailor Senshi, he felt a sudden, unnatural and too familiar shift in the air. With a sudden flash of rememberance, he dove to one side as a wind blade sheared through the air, cutting a deep, forrowlous swath along the ground with overly casual ease. Ranma dove into a roll and back on his feet instantly, that attack was almost an exact copy of the vacuum blades employed by the Yamasenken, but he had not sensed a ki focus upon its emergance at all...  
  
"NOW! TAKE HIM!" A voice roared at the top of his lungs.   
  
Ranma's eyes shot skyward, and the first he stopped was two individuals floating above. One of them was crackling with lightning, and the other was sheathed in raw, cackling flame.   
  
"BURN AND FRY ASSHOLE!" Sorata screamed in ritious fury.  
  
He unleashed a bolt of ball lightning greater than anything naturally possible, while Karen loosed a stream of searing hot fire simultainiously. The two attacks came together in mid-flight, creating an tidal wave of ungodly blaze and deadly ionization that careened straight toward the martial artist turned mass murderer.  
  
Ranma's humanly defiable agility was in display, as the blast slammed into the ground where he was; uprooting dirt and rock into a miniature mushroom cloud of thick debris. He had no time to rest, for before he could take another breath a volley of wind blades came screaming toward him.   
  
Aoki stood poised, the winds swirling around his body providing him with an entire planet's worth of oxygen with which to use as ammunition. The pigtailed God flipped and danced around the volley of lethal razor blades, buf found himself hard pressed to avoid them all   
completely; recieving several nicked his attire, though creating nothing more than   
small tears. At the same time, fireballs and lightning bolts were raining from above, all three of the remaining Seven Seals attempting to completely overwhelm their adversary from all directions until he falters.  
  
"QUICKLY, KAREN," Aoki yelled up to his fellow Seal. "ERECT THE BARRIER WHILE HE IS DISTRACTED!"  
  
Karen ceased her barrage and clasped her hands together; her brow furrowing in her concentration. High in the sky, the shape of a massive cross began to form in golden light. When Christianity's most holy symbol fully formed, it began to slowly descend toward the ground, generating the legendary Kekkai that would be utilized by the Seven Seals during the Final Battle. The shield impacted the ground, consuming Ranma, Karen, Sorata, and two others who were close within itself. The once translucent cross of light then solidified into a wall of gray, almost akin to steel, ensuring that no one, save Seal, and Harbinger could enter within.  
_____________________________  
  
An erie silence overcame that portion of the battle, though the cries   
of other fighters who were currently engaging Akane, could be heard in the background.  
  
"Noble, but I would hope they didn't sacrifice themselves in vain," Cologne stated, as she appeared next to Aoki, who was still outside the barrier.  
  
"It is a Kekkai, everything within it has been shifted into another dimension. A place that only a Seal can create, and where that bastard cannot escape unless the creator of the barrier is killed," Aoki explained in a grave tone. "We will keep him contained for as long as possible, but I suggest you use that time we buy to form a strategy." With those last words, Aoki charged into the barrier, effortlessly passing through its walls and shifting into another dimension.  
  
"It seems as if one of the squads may succeed..." Yosho commented.  
  
"You mean, they defeated that young man?" Tsunami whispered with trepidation and hope littering her voice.  
  
"I don't know..." A young boy with eyes older than they should have ever been, far older than mortal eyes, in fact, "That girl was heading into the barrier, most likely to fight.  
  
"The Immortal is correct," Cologne replied, heading back, "they are attempting to buy us time with their lives. Though we already have a plan formulated, we can take this oppurtunity to organize ourselves better, and save risking any more unnessesary deaths. Gather, so that I may tell you our final stratagy, and you can recruit more to completing its task. Though the strategy that had been adopted of sending squads to contend with Ranma was a good one, the situation is not suitable for it, for Ranma may never exhaust before our own numbers..."  
  
When one has existed since beyond the Beginning; one, be it intentional or not, has an odd tendency to pick up a few things over the countless centuries. This was being made painfully clear, as the remaining fighters attempted to subdue Death herself. When they had first arrived, they had bared witness to Death seemingly passive nature as she sat in silent contentment at Ranma's side, but now that the battle had been brought to her that silent submissiveness had turned into quiet, precise, and infinitely deadly efficiency.   
  
It was a morbid dance in every sense of the word as the raven haired aspect given flesh attacked with pure accuracy and fine control. Her fallen opponents would only see a brief flash of her blade before their world went forever black, and ribbons of their blood swirled through the air in almost beautiful arcs, as she continued cutting a swathe straight through the crowd of gathered warriors who were futilly trying to put her down. She was older than all of humanity itself, and she had all those years to perfect and experience was simply beyond human comprehension.   
  
Armor, be it magical or technological, could not stand against a sword forged by the hand of Death herself, made of the substance of eternity that was made in black holes and death throes. This was made evident, when she removed the katana from the impaled chest of a man in purple and black armor, and possessed large batlike wings. His blood instantly dissolved from the Damascus steel blade, like it was greedily sucked into its unnaturally beautiful gleam, before his lifeless body even touched the ground.  
  
But even in the face of such overwhelming skill, the noble heroes pressed forward. Two swordsmen began their charge, with each one protected in samurai inspired armor; one in fiery red, and the other in forest green. The man in red came first, wielding dual katana in expert fashion that rivaled the great Shinmen Musashi himself. His partner followed his lead, brandishing a single blade that was significantly large, yet handled it as if it were a light as the air itself.   
  
They attacked as one, each taking an opposite side and knowing that no human could possibly defend both sides at once. However, this was no human they faced, and she moved speed that caused multiple images as she used light parries and blocks that kept either blade from even grazing her skin and her black as nothingness kimono that flowed around her with wraithlike etherality. It even seemed that their attacks even came remotely close because she was volintarily choosing to allow it.  
  
"SAGE! NOW!" The red Samurai Trooper known as Ryo commanded.  
  
They both took the skies in enhanced leaps, each one preparing their ultimate attacks.  
  
"SO EN ZAN!" Ryo of the Wildfire screamed at the top of his lungs as he unleashed his Twin Blade Flame Slash.  
  
"THUNDERBOLT CUT!" Sage of the Halo did the same as he loosed a similar strike, though his utilized the power of lightning.  
  
Twin shafts of light descended upon Death, consuming her in white-hot and crackling energy. A miasma of fire and light consumed the area, leaving it utterly pulverized by their combined might. The two remaining Troopers landed some distance away, and looked upon the column of smoke rising from the crater with their eyes narrowed in uncertainty.  
  
"Is she dead?" Sage wondered, "What is she? I have never seen anyone fight like that with such perfect skill."  
  
"If I could only summon the White Armor of Fervor, then we could be sure," Ryo snarled. "But not without the others..." His comrades had fallen in The Instant Death just like so many countless others across the cosmos, making it impossible to combine their strengths and generate the most powerful of all mystical Ronin armors.  
  
Suddenly an explosive blast of air erupted from nowhere, blasting away the smoke column into more than small wisps of smolder. The two warriors' eyes widened in shock and horror as they witnessed Death floating above the black and ashen crater and sheathed in an aura of black that left her only visible in its corona. Her eyes glowed with the same intensity and she brought forth her katana again, itself radiating the power that neither one had ever felt before.   
  
"That... was annoying," The Grim Specter growled in a voice that reverberated on several levels of reality, unreality, soul, and physiology; the remaining Ronin Warriors suddenly realized exactly what they just upset. She became a streak, moving so fast that she nearly blurred from existence all together. She reappeared at their rear, already sheathing her sword back into its scabbard that she was holding in her left hand. The two Ronin's were stuck frozen for several moments, just before falling over. Their lives quickly and painlessly erased by the two frighteningly precise gashes in their abdomens and chest. Death released their souls from their bodies, so that they would join their comrades in blissful eternity.  
  
Death huffed at the presumptuousness of the two recently fallen. She didn't have much time to contemplate it, as her eyes caught sight of a man that she had seen earlier evade the flash of energy that melted the Earth around Ranma earlier, calmly striding towards her with fiery red hair, and yellow eyes that demanded vengence that would not come until his task was complete.  
  
Akane bowed politely to the former samurai, and spoke, "You're familiar with me, as I was once part of your nature, I see." He bowed back, and went into the stance of unsheathing for one blow and one kill that had earned him the nickname the Hitokiri Battousai.  
  
"This battle, if I win, I would..."  
  
"Would have your love back..." Akane interjected.  
  
Kenshin narrowed his eyes, "I was requesting the return of all those you have callously killed."  
  
"That is something I simply will not do," Akane replied in a curt tone. She then bowed her head and lowered her eyes, "I... understand the power love has over one, and because of this, I will be willing to allow the return of who was precious to you."  
  
Kenshin bit back a growl, but nodded.  
  
"I see you're used to drawing a weapon with more friction against your scabbard, "Akane commented, as she unsheathed her own sword, and let it hang loosely by her side; barely keeping it's tip from touching the ground.  
  
"You are perceptive," Kenshin replied respectfully, "My constant use of the sabatako has increased my skill with the katana.   
  
Akane nodded in understanding, "Than you make this interesting for me." With that, one with the skill and speed that gods envied, and one far above gods, joined battle.  
_____________________________  
  
Within the Kekkai, was a warzone. Blast craters, scorched earth, and cracks in the ground itself abundantly decorated the landscape.  
  
Sorata was already down, while alive, he was no condition to keep on fighting whatsoever. Aoki hovered protectively in front of Karen, wind razors swirling around his hands as Ranma floated before him, utilizing Herb's Flight of the Dragon technique. His arms were crossed over his chest as he awaited his opponent's next move with due patience.  
  
"Aoki, you have to let me fight!" Karen protested. "You can't fight take him alone."  
  
"NO!" Aoki answered abruptly. "If you die than the Kekkai will dissolve, we have to keep him trapped here for as long as possible."  
  
"I have no intention of killing you unless it's necessary," Ranma said calmly as he unfolded his arms. "But if that's what it takes to get out of here. Than I guess I don't have a choice, huh? I hate having my hand forced like this."  
  
"You bastard," Aoki said in total contempt. His typical friendly, calm exterior was shattered when his fellow Seals had fallen. He dare not think if his wife or children were involved in the massacre, for deep down he already knew the answer. "You kill billions of innocent lives and you have the audacity to say you only kill if necessary?"  
  
"Love made it necessary!" Ranma barked back in defense. "You can't understand. Flowers or chocolates aren't enough to satisfy a part of the universe! I would do anything to gain her approval, even if it means I must damn myself in the process." Ranma chuckled, "Not that it mattered, I was damned before I was even born, so I guess it wasn't too big a loss in that department."  
  
"You fool, if you honestly think genocide is a sign of love, then you're too far beyond redemption." Karen shook her head in pity.   
  
"You forget, am far beyond redemption," Ranma said as he aimed his palm at the two. "I am redemption. I, for all intents and purposes, am God."  
  
"NEBYURA CHIEN!"   
  
Out of nowhere, multiple chains shot forward and wrapped around Ranma's arms and legs. They binded around him tightly, and forced him to spread his arms and legs, as he fought against their unnatural strength with his own, currently more earthly might. Down below, the Bronze Saint Andromeda Shun focused all his concentration to ensure that he did not break free. Giving his partner the opening he needed.  
  
"PEGASASU SUI SEI KEN!!"   
  
Karen and Aoki hurriedly moved out of the way, as Pegasus Seiya surged forward, his fist blazing with cosmo energy; the Pegasus Comet Fist slammed full force into the chest of the corrupt God. The power of the blow ripped straight through chest bone and lung, exploding out the other side covered in vicious gore. Ranma's face turned into a mask of horror as he stared down at the arm that was halfway through his body.  
  
"For Athena, you monster," Seiya snarled as he ripped his fist out of his chest. "You don't even deserve death."  
  
"Bravo, you almost had me," A voice echoed from behind.  
  
Seiya whirled around quickly, his eyes locked skyward as he saw Ranma hovering there with a completely unamused look plastered on his face.  
  
"But...how," Seiya asked in total bewilderment.  
  
"A little trick I picked up from a... uh... guy... named Konatsu," Ranma answered simply, arbeit sheepishly, as he fought to keep the kunoichi's true gender in mind. "CHOKUSETSU SHUUDA RYUUSEI KYAKU!"  
  
He barreled toward Seiya with the ki-charged Saotome Meteor Kick. The super dropkick slammed into Seiya's chest, knocking him clear out of the sky and sending him careening into Shun. The sheer impact left them both unconscious, leaving Ranma with only two more opponents to deal with. That was when he turned around, and saw the last thing he ever thought he would see...  
  
The Hiryu Hyou Toppa barreling right toward him.  
  
"What the..."  
  
That was all he had to time to utter before the concentrated tornado collided into him. He never thought he would feel the force of his own technique, it was quite an odd feeling actually...  
  
The tornado blasted him back toward the ground, slamming and then drilling him straight into the earth itself. Massive cracks spider webbed outward as Ranma was plowed through dirt and rock and then buried under the tons of rubble that was loosed by his passing.  
  
Aoki breathed heavily, as he lowered his hands that he had used to command the air to generate the tornado; unknowingly mimicking one of Ranma's strongest attacks. He was hoping that the razor edge of the twister would rip him apart, but it seemed his durability was too great for that, so burying him under an innumerable amount of rock and potentially grinding him into a paste within the Earth would have to suffice instead.  
  
"I pray that's enough to end this," Aoki breathed.  
  
"Let's make sure," Karen said as she brought her hands together and unleashed a tidal wave of flame. The blast set blaze to the area where Ranma was buried; ensuring that anything left would be reduced to ash.   
  
"BAKUSAI TENKETSU!"  
  
The ground suddenly exploded in a blast of shattered stone. Utilizing yet another special attack, Ranma's rocky prison was reduced to powder as a leisurely climbed out of the crater that was to be his coffin.  
  
"Now then," He said as he dusted him off and noticed the ring of flames that surrounded. "Allow me to show you how it's supposed to be done."  
  
He leisurely reached a hand up, and closed it into a fist. An M-6 tornado that rivaled any seen in record history exploded out of nowhere, capturing anything within its mile-radius in its 700 mph-plus winds. It kicked up the unconscious forms of the other fighters who had been trapped within the Kekkai, throwing them to the four winds like mere rag dolls, and ripped apart by the debris that swirlled within the massive funnel.  
  
"KAREN! HOLD ON TO ME!" Aoki yelled as he held tight her hand. He was able to keep them from being overwhelmed by the tornado through his command of Air, but stopping tornado that was not of his creation was another matter altogether. "I'll get us out of this!"  
  
He would never get the chance. A vacuum careened toward them from within the tornado, shearing straight through his arm with ease. Aoki screamed in pain while Karen was helpless as the winds wrenched her away in its almighty grip. Then in a moment, just as sudden as it appeared, the tornado ceased to exist. The immidiate loss of centrifugal force tossed Karen through the air where she slammed into the ground with a bone pulping impact; Aoki shortly suffered the same fate as well.  
  
Ranma looked around in mid-air, the Kekkai was slowly beginning to dissolve. He knew the woman could not have survived such a fall, and at such a speed.   
  
"About time. I thought I'd ne...*" He stopped mid-sentence. He suddenly began gasping violently for air, grasping at his throat in some attempt to force oxygen through.  
  
Down below, and barely retaining consciousness through the continuing loss of blood, Aoki used his power in the most ruthless way he knew how. To suck the air straight out of Ranma's lungs, hoping the collapse them.  
  
Feeling the burning strain on his lungs, he slowly turned to face the last Seal. He aimed his palm, and simply shot a blast at the fallen Wind Master. The blast was many times larger than Aoki, and the last thing he saw was light of his deliverance overcoming all his vision.  
  
"GUHHH!" Ranma's breath came back in an instant, and he swallowed large gulps to refill his screaming lungs. His eyes scanned his surroundings, the field had totally dissipated, and he was back in the real world.   
  
He noticed that the landscape was now littered with the bodies of fallen fighters, and he could see his beloved Death still in the midst of combat. Around him was a solid ring of fighters, staring grimly at him; ready to attack at a given command. Akane turned from the fallen former samurai, and looked towards Ranma with a curious and concerned expression.  
  
Ranma refused to collapse to his knees in the exhaustion he felt, fearing any show of weakness would give his opponents would mistake him as weak. Quietly he began to draw energy from the ground with a revitalization technique, and stared defiantly towards the apparent leaders of the group; Colonge, some old man with glasses that carried himself with centuries of skill and poise, and a blue haired woman with markings on her forehead that held a divine grace about her, "So... who's next?"  
  
Cologne's staff was raised in the air, and she suddenly dropped it, pointing to Ranma, "Take him."  
  
The effects of the command were instantanious, as the circle suddenly shrunk onto Ranma. The first thing he encountered was the clawed hand that barely missed ripping open his chest. Ranma grabbed the arm of Devilman, and used the demon's hand to parry the sword of another one of those long blond haired warriors like the one that tried to flashfry him from the air. Devilman's hand was split open, leaving the demon screaming in agony, while Ranma punched Trunks to turning around, and then shoved his index finger into the blond boy's ear, and into his brain.  
  
A platnium blonde woman with dusky skin and markings on her forehead cupped her hands together as she flew over and began hovering above Ranma, while her partner with black and white hair and wings flew across from her. The pigtailed young man felt the build of something other than ki above him which he knew was deadly to him, and almost desperately grabbed the nearest fighter to him roughly. White Lightning's face expressed extreme shock at himself being grabbed, as fast as he was moving, and didn't even manage to put up a struggle, as Ranma suddenly synced with his aura and shouted.  
  
Urd's spell was almost completed, but was cut off by the sudden pillar of life force that slammed up into her, and then spread out in a five meter radius. The Goddess and her angel crashed into the earth, while Ranma cleared some space for himself for breathing room. He dropped the white haired valle's withered corpse to the ground, and quickly brought his hand, palm facing outward, near his head. His index finger and middle finger scissored together, catching a bullet between them, and with a flick of his wrist, Ranma tossed it away...  
_____________________________  
  
Up on one of the hills outside the battle, a man didn't even see the piece of metal heading straight back at him, running easily through his gun scope, and into his eye. Agent Golgo 13 would not finish this mission.  
_____________________________  
  
Ranma's eyes went wide, as he leapt back from being stomped on by a large robot that seemed straight out of cartoons. In the back of his mind, he thought this was a bit overkill for little old him. The pigtailed boy noted several other potentially powerful fighters on the fore of him behind the Gundam, such as Herb himself, and decided to retreat to the wooded area for his advantage. The trees would only far more hinder such a large army to where he could take care of them more to his leasure. The God started in another direction, easily taking down those who got in his path.  
  
Cologne's face watched intently, as the Nerima fighters along with the Juraians stood behind her, ready to start the final faze of their plan. The former Amazon Elder smiled; Ranma did exactly as she had hoped. Positioning stronger fighters in the more open area forced Ranma to retreat to the woods where he would have had a clear advantage. Fortunately for them, it would also keep him from noticing their actions. Once the ancient woman decided that Ranma was in the woods and thoroughly distracted enough, she made the call, "Begin."  
  
Shampoo and Tarou rushed forward from different directions, each coming in low to Ranma's view. The pigtailed young man did see them, though, and moved to counter them. Ranma blinked in confusion, as they suddenly crossed in front of each other, and Tarou veered off. Ranma knocked away a random fighter into another one, and quickly went into stance. Shampoo was suddenly cut off by Kodachi intercepting his path, and Ranma noticed it seemed as if they were handing something off to each other. Ranma didn't have time to contemplate it, as he had to guard against the strike of a white haired man that growled like a large dog.  
  
"YOU WILL GIVE ME YOUR POWER, GODLING!" Sessmarou growled, and swiped again.  
  
"I ain't no mere godling, Dogboy!" Ranma retorted, fading from the dog demon's sight, and retaliating.  
  
Kodachi circled around to the back of Ranma, and then was intercepted by Yosho. The gymnast handed the jewel off to the old man, as he made a beeline for Ranma. After the demon dog was dealt with, Ranma turned to face the old man, only to have him intercepted by some Amazon girl that apparently survived the massacre. Ranma's brow furrowed, as he leapt backwards over a sword swipe from a girl with a yin/yang sign on her Chinese outfit with her hair done in braids that were looped into hoops.  
  
Akane frowned, finding few were even attempting to mess with her, as most of the army that was left seemed to concentrate more on Ranma now. She also frowned, when the noted what Cologne and the others were doing, and started forward to help Ranma. Before she could reach him, however...   
  
"AKANE, STOP. SOMETHING'S UP SO DON'T COME NEAR!" Ranma shouted defending against two other fighters at once. Death frowned, but was touched by the notion that Ranma still felt the need to protect her, and begrudingly obeyed his command. After all, it wasn't like she had to let him die.  
  
The Amazon was then intercepted by Ryouga, as she ran across from Ranma. Tenchi and Cologne then cut across him. Ranma knew they were trying to confuse him with this ploy to get one of them close to him. As close as they were now, either that young man with the ponytail and the weird almost glowing cloths or Cologne would make the move. Cologne would be too obvious, and it almost seemed as if Shampoo didn't hand anything off to the young man he didn't know, as if it were an accident he cut in front of her. Ranma knew who he had to guard against at that moment, and turned to Tenchi just in time to sidestep a blue glowing sword that bore down at him from the Juraian from a vertical angle. Ranma had completely missed Shampoo being intercepted at his blind side by Ukyo; he didn't even hear Ukyo's name being called by the Amazon to snap her back to attention from her apparent daze.  
  
"NICE TRY!" Ranma shouted, avoided what he assumed was some sort of mystic Amazon weapon to slay Gods. The young man was a compotent swordsman, so it made it all the more apparent that that was their ploy. Ranma quickly stepped into Tenchi's guard, and delivered a double palm strike that nearly caved in his chest and pulped his intestines. Ranma immidiately knew to defend against Cologne, but at the last instant, the old woman stopped, and quickly backed away. On intuition, Ranma turned around, just in time for Ukyo to place a glowing jewel on his chest.  
  
Ranma stared down at it incredulously, and was suddenly enveloped by white light that then started to shift to the side of him. Ranma's eyes grew even wider, as he saw that he was standing right next to his cursed half.  
  
"Wha, WHAT'S THIS ALL ABOUT?" Ranma shouted, as the Redhead grabbed Ranma's right fight, which was donning the ring, into her own hands, and looked him in the eye defiantly.  
  
"Ranma," The redhead growled, "This has gone too far, we need to put things right."  
  
Ranma's face grew furious, "COLOGNE, IF THIS IS YOUR LAST RESORT, IT'S GOING TO FAIL MISERABLY!!!"  
  
Ukyo's eyes suddenly went wider than initially from seeing Ranma split off into two forms. "This... this is like my..." The young chef then slowly started taking steps backwards; the way things are going, her precognition from only moments ago would come true.  
  
The Redhead shook her head slightly, "It may be a last resort, but it will be the only one we need. Ranma, we need to use the ring to fix everything the way it was."  
  
"And who are you to tell me what to do?" Ranma seethed, not even attempting to pull his hand out of his girl side's grip.  
  
"The only one who can help ya, and the only one who can beat ya," the girl replied with a side smile, "I'm you, more importantly, I'm your heart."  
  
"Hmph, then let's see if you're up to the task that a whole super powered army wasn't up to," Ranma challenged. Their auras suddenly sprouted to life; male Ranma's being red, while the female Ranma's being white. When the two auras met, it was with explosive results...  
  
The chef was thrown back by the ensuing blast. Ukyo tightened her back, and curled up into a tight ball, as she slammed into one of the various trees from where she had been slowly backing away from Ranma . She had been expecting the blast, since she had the premonition, so was alright. She had managed to do her part, and because of it, they would all pay dearly.  
  
Everyone sheilded their eyes from the brilliant light that radiated from the center where the two combatants fought for dominance over Godhood. The outcome was a thin chance at best, but it was their only one. The bodies of friends, allies, and even enemies were ignored, as everyone held their breath . White and red fought for dominance, each occationally gaining the advantage over the other. In a few short but eternal moments, white consumed all of the red.  
  
"Did... did we?" The regal woman with the blue hair and crystal red eyes asked with hope.  
  
"R-Ra-Ranma..." The thing claiming to be Akane breathed with her own concern.  
  
"Even a heart cannot triumph, if it is fighting against what it exists for..."   
  
"N-no...." Cologne collapsed to the ground, as they watched the white light die down, with the young man standing victorious over his final opponent.   
  
Ranma looked down at Cologne in sympathy, "You've lost, that was your final attack, and I beat it." his eyes then became cold, as he turned to look at the standing, the wounded, and the deceased. Before he could speak, he felt his lungs tighten. Blinking, the God looked down, and found an arrow piercing him from behind through the chest.  
  
"I am sorry, Ranma-sama," Konatsu stated in a sad voice; still holding his long bow in position from firing from his vantage point in a tree, "this is the second time I have failed you."  
  
Cologne stood up slowly, and approached along with those who were still near. They won, they had actually defeated the God. Ranma suddenly began to smile, and then chuckle lightly. His humor became as much as it would allow with an arrow piercing his lung, and it wasn't a laugh of regret, nor of insanity. It was the laugh of someone claiming victory...  
  
Something was very... very wrong...  
  
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Special thanks to both Tannimfodder and Midnight Sun for their massive contributions. Without them, I would have just remained lazy and delivered only 20K's worth of writing ^_^ 


	15. Final and Epilogue

Ranma 1/2  
Ascension  
Finale and Epilogue  
  
  
  
  
Ranma stumbled backwards onto his knees, holding loosly the arrow that was impaling him in one hand. Akane was there in an instant beside her love; the shocked and heavily concerned expression on her face clearly showed that this was not something she was expecting.  
  
Cologne approached Ranma, while looking him over with close scruteny. Yosho, Tsunami, Tenchi, Shampoo, Ryoga, Konatsu carrying Ukyo, Kuno, Ryoko, and Mousse gathered formed the small inner-circle that enclosed the fallen God.   
  
The former Matriarch sniffed, but kept her expression schooled, "Ranma... you have lost..."  
  
"I.. heh... beg to differ," Ranma replied in a weak voice, "Everything is just going perfect, I think... Geez, getting shot in the chest hurts like Hell!"  
  
"You've been slain, and the prize we claim is for you to restore all the ill you have done." Yosho replied, holding back the emotion in his voice.  
  
Ranma seemed to chuckle at that, "I... I never said that was part of the deal... and it's not like you can force me.."  
  
"Wha... WHAT?" Tenchi shouted, "THAT'S NOT FAIR!"  
  
Ranma frowned, a slight of blood escaping the corner of his lips, "If... if anyone is qualified to tell you that life isn't fair... it's me."  
  
Cologne drummed her brain, trying to piece together the puzzle that she had thought she had clearly assembled, only to see that it was not the correct picture. "Ranma... what was your goal?"  
  
"Cologne... sensei. Before I answer that, I had caught a bullet in the midst of battle..."  
  
"Yet, you did not avoid the arrow... you... you wanted to fall, is this correct?" Tsunami replied.  
  
"Then... you mean this whole fight was a farce?" Yosho growled, "You truly are insane, for what reason would you have to partake in such a massive and costly battle, vanity?"  
  
Ranma coughed a bit, jolting himself within Akane's arms, "Na, nothing like that... I..."  
  
"You felt obligated, didn't you, Ranma?" Ryoga answered.  
  
"You and your damnable honor for your school," Ukyo sobbed, while Konatsu looked crestfallen.  
  
"It wasn't for his honor... it was for ours," Mousse corrected kneeling down to Ranma's level; recalling one of his and Ranma's first duels, when Akane suggested that the pigtailed boy throw the fight, "Ranma would give us a fight to the best of his ability, because he thinks he would have disgraced us if he gave anything less."  
  
"But... that's crazy!" Kiyone replied, incredulously.  
  
"Indeed, it is," Cologne stated, weary, "He hoped that we would defeat him, and when we failed, he allowed himself to be shot. The answer remains as to why. Akane apparently does not wish his death, and she will not take him because of it, so why bother with self-mutilation? Answer us, boy."  
  
"Because... as you said, Elder, once the touch of Godhood is upon you, it is, as you phrased it, difficult to recend..." Most turned to the newcomber; a seemingly young man with platnium hair. "I must say, this one's guile is quite impressive. I would have done to give him more credit."  
  
"Explain," Tsunami commanded.  
  
The God of a realm removed threw the blue haired goddess a fleeting and disapproving look, "Once life has passed from him, the power of the infinite and eternal will be scattered across your reality. This time, because of their nature, they would never be detected, and thus never found again."  
  
"He... he doesn't want anyone to reverse what he has done!" Cologne gasped, too shocked to be impressed with Ranma's deviousness.  
  
"Yeah..." Ranma wheezed, and the light expression that was on his face changed to one of seriousness, "There is nothing, nothing I wouldn't give, to see Akane's smile filled with any emotion. Nothing I would not do for her to have the ability to cry. I would even leave it again, in hopes of finding that same smile I love from her. Nothing matters more to me than for her to express the emotions I fought too damn hard to earn for her, even if it's over my death."  
  
"Akane, please, listen to me," Cologne urged, "You know this is not the way of things. Nature is imbalanced, let us fix everything back to right again."  
  
"Listen to her," Tsunami pleaded, "allow Ranma to live, and convince him of his folly that needs to be rectified."  
  
"No can do," Ranma stated, "It... was possible to do what I did, because it didn't fight the laws... going back... going back..."  
  
"NO! YOU CAN BRING THEM BACK, YOU MISERABLE BASTARD!" One of the crowd shoted from beyond the circle, eliciting favorable cries to follow.  
  
Ranma ignored the growing rioters, "Akane... please."  
  
"Don't, Akane, if that's really you, Akane, don't." Ukyo pleaded with the aspect of death.  
  
Akane bowed her head and closed her eyes, after a moment, she looked back towards Ranma with glossy eyes, "I... I can not... I..."  
  
"Akane... if you loved me, I mean if you *ever* truly loved me..."  
  
"Please..." Akane cut him off with a trembling voice, "Don't... don't ask me to do this. Please."  
  
"Damn it, Akane. You refused to take me the first time; you left me hurting far too unbearably from wounds far beyond what those damn jagged rocks at the cliff gave me. At least those heald over time. This *needs* to be done... we'll, we'll see each other in my next lifetime... I promise."  
  
"No... no I won't..."   
  
"We just may have a slight chance, yet..." Ryoko murmered to Tenchi.  
  
"Akane..." Ranma allowed a tender smile onto his face, as he reached up to his lover's cheek, "Please, I could never be happy, knowing that it would always be possible to take away all that I have given you. Even if those tears of yours were not for me, I would be happy knowing that you could still cry." The raven haired spector's bottom lip trembled, as she reached her hand over to cradle Ranma's to her cheek, and rubbed the side of her face against it; smearing Ranma's blood onto her face.  
  
"I... I love you... Ranma." Akane hugged Ranma closer to herself.  
  
"NO! STOP HER!"  
  
Mihoshi expressionlessly unholstered her gun, and shot at Akane, only to find the beam bounce impotently off an invisible barrier around her, Ranma, and those of the inner circle. Several other energy blasts and concussive blows rained against the barrier, but left the occupants undisturbed.  
  
Akane bent down, and gave Ranma one final kiss on the lips that lasted for several moments. She wanted to make it last for ever, to hold Ranma in her arms until a new creation swept away the reminants of their current one. She was only the gateway of passage for the soul, she wasn't the keeper of them. Once she released Ranma's soul from his body, she would have to leave the rest to fate.  
  
She brought her head up, just to see Ranmas lively but sedated smile for one final time for this lifetime. Once she fully took it all in, she closed her eyes, causing a tear to be flushed out from her eye. It traveled down her face, and fell onto Ranma's forehead. With it's impact, Ranma's wheezing shallowed to nothing.  
  
By that time, everyone had stopped in their attempts to subdue the aspect of death, and in the sweeping silence, Akane let forth a wail of agony that only Death could bring about.  
_______________________  
_______________________  
  
::Epilogue::  
  
Ukyo stared dispassionately at the bloodied corpse of Nabiki. The young chef sighed, and closed the door to the girl's room.  
  
"Nabiki killed herself," Ukyo commented with a try and monotone voice.  
  
Nodoka Saotome looked up from mending with a look of concern, "Oh dear, Soun will not like to hear this at all, poor dear."  
  
"I'm sorry there wasn't anything I could do more," Ukyo replied sincerely, sitting down next to the Saotome Matriach.  
  
"Do more about what?" Ranma asked, entering the house from the dojo.  
  
"Nabiki slit her throat... she's dead," ukyo informed her husband of two years.  
  
Ranma's expression became shocked, "Oh man, Akane-chan's not going to like this..."  
  
"We'll wait until she comes back home to inform her," Ukyo stated, somberly, "Kasumi and Mr. Tendou, I'll go find them and tell them now."  
  
"Please, do be careful," Nodoka urged her daughter-in-law, "I... we lost Nabiki, I would hate for anything else to happen to you as well."  
  
Ukyo hugged Nodoka tightly, "I'll be careful, I promise." Then she turned a quick peck to Ranma's cheek, and told him she would be back soon to help him with Nabiki's body. The chef stepped out of the old and slightly run down Tendou household, and onto the decaying streets of what was once a lively and friendly (if not destructive) district named Nerima. Her eyes stayed unfocused past the dismal state of what was around her, just as her broken mind refused to allow the true reality of what became of things after the Great Culling two years ago.  
  
Nabiki had obviously gone insane since the day they saved Ranma from that evil demon that posessed him that was conjured up by Happosai, Ukyo surmised. She kept rambling on about how Ranma apparently brought the downfall of civilization; really, Ranma was destructive at times, but Nabiki had totally lost it. Her Ranma would never do such a horrible, unforgivable atrocity.  
  
Not her Ranma, never her Ranma...  
_______________________  
  
"We're through their third line of defense! Progress on their center of command, an we sieze the day!" Cologne commanded, leading the factions that she had gathered in the battle against the remaining U.S. metahuman militia. Since the Culling, anarchy and chaos reigned, and before long, humanity would completely die out. The former Amazon Matriarch turned conquerer vowed that she would bring back order, and force the Human Race to survive, even if it is under servitude to her.  
  
She would not let Ranma win this one, small battle that she had left against him.  
  
"GOOD! Now, secure their nuclear stockpile! We may use it to threaten the Middle East into compliance! Our victory is all but assured! Shampoo's forces should soon be starting their campaign in the Slavic nations, so we must endeaver to haste!"  
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They whisper of the ghost that randomly strolls about, but never leaves the area. The ghastly boy appeared other-worldly, with his sunken eyes and sickly green glow that radiated from him. At first, they had thought it was the mad God returned to finish the job with the rest of Humanity, but found the spector to be a benevolent one; as it saved those that it came across that here harrassed, and protected the weak from the dangers of the world the best it could. Eventually, they began to worship it as a guardian spirit; leaving it food and treasures in gratitude. Occationally it would take the food left for it, but the treasures were always left alone. Regardless, many still attempted to courry the favor of the Ghost of the Unryuu Farm.  
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Akane looked out into the infinite of space. In two years, her acute pain had only gotten stronger. As Ranma died in her arms, she geared herself up for a lifetime of pain that nothing should ever have to experience. For she knew that she would have to prevail, for she would once again be reunited with Ranma. Perhaps not in this lifetime, or the next. Maybe not in all of eternity, but she would not give up hope, for Ranma never gave up hope on her.  
  
"Ranma, I miss you so much. Please, be at peace. For me, be at peace."  
  
Fin  
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Wheee! Now THAT'S my type of WAFF!!! I'll put up some notes eventually to explain little nuances that most of you missed, I'm sure, as well as explanations and the like. One more fic to finish up, and I start new ones, isn't that spiffy? 


	16. quickly made notes

Ascension  
Author's notes  
  
  
'Bout damn time I got to these, huh? Well, Ascension, where to start...  
  
Ah, first, just to confirm many of your suspicions, yes, the concept did originate from the 'Infinity Guantlet' series. One of Marvel's greatest mass stories, what with my only gripe was how hokey it started to get when Nebula got the infinity guantlet. But we won't go into that here, go read it yourself if you're interested.  
  
The story opens up with a little tale of the previous universe. It grew tired of its position as the surpreme existance, and chose to allow someone the chance to take over. A God of another realm took the challenge, and won. Instead of taking the reward, he chose to allow the power that was granted him to be up for grabs. When the old universe dispersed itself, the new universe formed, and with it, still existed the old universe with its powers still linked to the new universe.  
  
The prologue starts at the end of the Ranma 1/2 series. Ranma was attempting to use Saffron's own intense heat in order to form a razor sharp Hiryuu Shoten Ha, but through the heat, he couldn't aim, with the air so distorted from the intense heat. Akane, in doll form, jostled loose from Ranma, and dove towards Saffron, her body plowing through the heat, and creating a small opening that Ranma could squeeze his attack through. In the original Manga, Akane went right by Saffron, with him barely giving her a passing notice. In this case, he was startled, and a bit shocked, thinking Ranma threw her at him. He caught her, just as Ranma's attack was bearing down on him. When Saffron was destroyed in the manga, he reformed into an egg, as he did it this time, he reformed into an egg while holding onto Akane. As explained earlier in the manga story arc, anything within Saffron's close proximity when the egg for his transformation was being created became food for the egg. The same could be presumed when he was being reborn.  
  
Anyhow, the main story opens up with Ranma killing his parents. Why would he do such a thing? Answer; out of love. Out of everyone who would suffer, Ranma felt that he would do a grievous dishonor to his family, if he were to let them get caught in his true plan. He wanted them to at least die with the knowledge of the cause of their deaths. True, he could have just spared them, but then that wouldn't be impartial, as he was trying to be. He could have even taken his chances, and let them go through the 'lottery', as it were, but perhaps he felt that that too would be an even greater betrayal to them, if one of them were to 'lose'. A little difficult to comprehend someone doing such a thing, but quite frankly, we can't say what would happen if someone had completely 'snapped'.  
  
The second little tale was about a concept, a concept we know as 'Death'. I choose to label it as a 'concept' to throw you off, and not make it seem extremely obvious, and because we only have an idea of what Death really is. It could be a transition, it could be a becoming of nothing, we don't know for sure, exept what is dictated to us through our faiths. I stuck with Marvel's theme of giving entities personification, because it makes them easier to manage in a story ;p (yeah, I cheated, so what? ^_^). When Death was granted life, she became who we know in Ranma 1/2 as Akane Tendou. She went through the experiences of a normal person (more or less) and when she died, she took with her those experiences and emotions. That is where the problem originated. She still loved Ranma, as much as an emotionless entity 'could' (perhaps she just desired him as property, it doesn't really matter), and Ranma truly did find love that had been apparently denied his soul since its creation, thus Ranma was willing to do anything for her.  
  
Ranma's apparent suicide. Even Ranma couldn't survive the fall he made, that's why he took it. So why didn't he die? Simple, Akane didn't take him the first time. She allowed him to live, for him to heal and grow strong again, so that she could present him with a task that would allow them to be together, with perks in her favor (such as a greater stranglehold over everything, as what she wanted would tip balance to her favor; power that was desired because of the ambition she gained from her little tryst as a mortal). Ranma set out to task, gathering all the 'essences' that he needed to do what he intended to accomplish; become the surpreme being, and wipe out half the life in the universe.  
  
Why would such an atrocity allow Akane to love Ranma? She would paradoxally lose 'power', thus being downgraded from a fundamental constant of the universe, to a god, as the universe would seek to regain balance, and start limiting the amount of deaths allowed, until the initial balance was restored. She would gain power, but lose status. Will I ever get to 'The Ranma Quest'? Dunno, I could do a 'Thanos Quest' style story some day, when I finish up at least half of the fics I've started recently (and I do intend to finish all the non-ongoing ones at least by October)  
  
The clues to the plot were intentionally kept muddy for the reader, with a lot of smoke and mirrors involved. The reason for this was to place the reader in the same position of the characters. No one truly knew what was going on, and though the reader was privy to more information, they would still be left confused by events. Everything finally came together eventually, allowing all to realize the true scope of Ranma's plan.  
  
My sincere thanks to the authors that added their submissions for the sidestories; Midnight Sun, Carrotglace, and C-chan. There were many other authors that offered their support, such as Sgt. Ranma was to write a Gunsmith Kats in a Resident Evil scenario sidestory (something mentioned when Cologne was scanning through the news stories via Tofu's satilite subscription). But alas, due to constraints and such, they were not able to give their assistance. Still, their thanks for at least the consideration.  
  
Back to explaining things. Ranma only intended to do what was *needed* to be done, in his opinion. The Intergalactic armada heading towards Earth would have presented the planet with such an extreme threat, that a battle by them would leave Earth completely destroyed. So Ranma decided to deterr any further plans of such, by quickly doing away with them. Incidentally, that served to alert everyone to Ranma's presence. That was something Ranma actually wanted, anyhow, and the blast he released inadvertantly provided him with the convenient way of doing so.  
  
Ranma needed to move onto the next part of his plan, a part that even Akane wasn't aware of ( since she would have stopped him if she was); his own destruction. Ranma couldn't kill himself as a God, because of the nature of being the surpreme being. A potental explanation of what would happen if Ranma decided to do himself in was presented in Ukyo's premonision, as Ranma, in his anger with Akane, decided to render away existance. He couldn't just turn his God status 'off', just power down. He had to be destroyed by someone else's hand, just like the previous Universe insisted upon, for the same reasons.  
  
Ranma's death would send the five essences to random places, making them impossible to find again. Thus, ensuring what he had done could not be undone by the same power. That also had the added bonus of making sure that he couldn't be convinced to 'fix' everything, even if he was inclined to. As he explained earlier, the killing was by all intents and purposes 'natural', while bringing everyone back to life, even time traveling to stop events from occuring was 'unnatural', since they went against the laws of the universe.  
  
Ukyo's premonision was actually a warning. Dunno by who, but one given, nonetheless. It showed her what certain events would lead to, and the even greater trajedy that was presented at the end. Her placing the gem upon Ranma that split him into two forms (in which one would still have Ranma's sense of right, and hopefully be able to overcome the other Ranma), she noticed things happening just as she remembered from her premonision. Her stepping back in shock changed things, as her trajectory from the blast of Ranma and Ranma-chan's battle that sent her careening, into a different tree than before. A tree Konatsu was not in.  
  
Ranma let Konatsu's arrow pierce him, because he knew that he had won already. Why did Ranma fight so hard? Because he still had his sense of honor. As Mousse pointed out, Ranma would never intentionally lose a fight, just as he recalled before. Also the reason Ranma would even go through a battle, was because he felt he owed it to his former friends. They demanded vengence, and he thought letting them have it would at least somewhat appease them, though he could never be forgiven. With Ranma's fate, his task was sealed.  
  
To summarize the Epilogue; Nabiki killed herself from despair, Ukyo went insane, Ryoga became a shell of a human, Cologne has taken it upon herself to curb the anarchy that is going on through out the world by taking it over with her as dictator, and Akane is patiently waiting to find Ranma again. In the version posted on Strider's archive site (archive.anifics.com), the Gods and Goddesses of Heaven united with the Demons of Hell, as their general goals were the same, and placed Hild as God, since she was the only one apparently qualified for the position.  
  
Any questions, I'm sure I missed a lot of crap, since I was too damn lazy to go back and read everything myself again ;p? Well, next, notes for 'Into Dreams' (O boy, am I dreading those...) 


End file.
